


So Contagiously

by Chedappa



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, But He makes Up For It, Genji Shimada is a Little Shit, Hanzo Shimada has Prosthetic Legs, Hurt/Comfort, Jesse is kinda an asshole tho, Kinda, M/M, Redemption, blizzard can fight me, but the good kind, listen Hanzo can be sad and prideful at the same time, lucio has prosthetic legs, more tags to come tbh, no depression here folks I promise, same with D.Va
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2019-05-15 04:20:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 87,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14783496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chedappa/pseuds/Chedappa
Summary: Hanzo takes Genji up on his invitation to join Overwatch and hopes it will be a good chance to redeem himself from his crimes. Of course, having a team that's skeptical of you doesn't help, and it certainly doesn't help that one cowboy in particular is really skeptical. But Hanzo isn't here for any cowboys, no matter how distracting they prove to be.Basically another redemption fic, but this one isn't as depressing as most, I promise.Will try to update weekly if not once a week (difference of it being the same day every week or not)Edit: was previously いいんですか





	1. The Sun Sets in Shimada Castle

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to my first Overwatch fic!! I know this game's been around for a while, but I only just got into it this year which is a little sad, but when I love, I love deeply. Let me tell you, I love these characters deep man. Hanzo especially. But anyways, this fic was basically inspired by Claro Que's Afterdrop (which is really good and y'all should read it if you haven't already) but it's gonna be pretty different from it, I guarantee you that. Anyways, just would like to let you know that I try to explain most Japanese in the fic, but I actually have a B.A. in Japanese studies and am pretty fluent in it, so I might not be the best at explaining things. Just ask me if you have any questions about anything.
> 
> The title of the fic is Iindesuka which translates to "is that okay?" and I chose that because it's a very good Radwimps song and I felt like that phrase just kinda embodies Hanzo on his path to redemption.

Hanzo remembers it clearly despite his young age. He could only have been just about to turn 4 years old, and yet he remembers it like it was yesterday.

The staff in the house were rushing around every which way. Hanzo sat to the side of a balcony, forgotten, watching the chaos unfolding. He idly messed with the  _ kendama _ in hand, not even trying to land the ball successfully on the hammer’s ends. Maids scurried past carrying blankets, towels, water, and various snacks. Doctors and nurses from hospitals the Shimadas did business with were called in, murmuring orders. Hanzo’s father, Sojiro, was a nervous wreck, though he muttered to himself about having been through this situation before.

Soon, his father’s dark eyes finally fell on his son, lightening slightly. Heavy footsteps approached the young boy as he pouted and turned back to his toy. Sojiro squatted next to his son, watching as the boy failed the ball around on the string. “Hanzo… Aren’t you curious to see what’s going on?”

“… No…” Hanzo pouted again as the ball clicked off the hammer, failing to land on the edge. Of course he was curious, but the maids had told him to wait and be a good boy. Only trouble awaited him if he got in everyone’s way. The boy tried once more at the  _ kendama _ , flailing it around without patience.

“Now Hanzo… That isn’t how to do this. Here, let me see.” Sojiro held out his hand expectantly. His son hesitated a moment before handing over the child’s toy, putting his cheeks in his hands. “Watch closely.” The man smoothly led the ball to the hammer’s left side, the largest pocket, and grinned when it landed nearly perfectly. “Patience is important here. If you lose your patience, you won’t even be able to reach the first stage here.” Hanzo narrowed his eyes in focus, carefully watching his father’s hands.

“Then you need understanding. Without understanding where you are and where you need to go, you’ll never accomplish much after your first step.” Sojiro shifted the ball upwards again only to spin the hammer around and catch the ball in the socket on the other side. The boy’s mouth opened in awe, but he stayed silent to watch more. “Next, you need control. Your strength can become your weakness if you don’t know it. Sometimes, holding back and being gentle is the best course of action.” The ball is once again suspended in the air. Sojiro turns the hammer upside and catches the ball in the small socket on the hammer’s handle. Hanzo lets out a  small exclamation of joy and shock.

“And finally, you need determination. If you just give up after every little problem, you’ll never reach the goal you want.” The ball goes from the bottom of the handle and the hole in the ball catches on the peg on the hammer’s top. Hanzo gives a small shout, amazed by his father’s skill. Sojiro just laughs and puts a warm hand on his son’s head. “You’re amazed, but even you can do this one day, with practice and dedication. Remember the four things I told you as they will no doubt aid you in that process. Those four things are also important traits for the heir of the Shimada family and for a big brother to have. Start practicing now so you can be the best big brother possible and bring honor to this family, okay Hanzo?”

The boy just tilts his head questioningly. He didn’t quite understand what he was told, but Sojiro had said “big brother” in there somewhere. Hanzo knew that it wouldn’t be long until he became a big brother, but when would it happen? The younger Shimada takes the  _ kendama  _ back from his father then puts a hand on his arm.

“Father, when will I be a big brother?” Sojiro simply chuckled and stood, looking far down the hall.

“Any moment now, Hanzo. Your mother is working hard right now to give you your little brother.” The boy frowned, not understanding what Sojiro meant. How was his mother giving him a younger brother? He was in her stomach. Was she throwing him up?

As Hanzo turned to question his father again, a maid rushed down the hall towards them. She smiled at the lord of the household and nodded. “She’s finished. The baby is here and he’s perfectly healthy.” Sojiro nodded and turned towards Hanzo.

“Come. We shall go greet your mother and little brother.” Hanzo stood and ran to his father’s side, glancing at his hand. Though the boy wanted to reach out and hold it, he had received a scolding several times for it. Instead, he fingered the toy in his hands as they walked to his parent’s bedroom. The room had an interesting smell to it, but there was incense burning to overpower it. His mother laid on the futon, her kimono loose and slightly out of place. A damp cloth was placed on her forehead and her tired brown eyes glanced up at the two men who entered. She offered a soft smile to her husband, then turned to her now eldest son.

“Hanzo, come. I want you to meet your little brother.” The boy did as he was told and approached his mother. He knelt on the floor beside her and leaned over her to look at the bundle of cloth in her arms. If his hands landed awkwardly on her stomach and hips, she didn’t say a word. Instead, his mother cood at the bundle in her arms and moved some of the cloth for Hanzo to see what laid inside.

A baby with red cheeks, black almond-shaped eyes mostly closed, small tufts of black hair peppering its mostly bald head, the smallest nose Hanzo has ever seen, and a small, toothless mouth greeted him. Hanzo’s mother, Akemi, smiled and bounced the bundle gently. “This is Genji, your little brother. Genji, this is Hanzo. It is your job as the older brother to protect Genji and help him in any way you can, Hanzo. Never forget that. All Genji has in this world is you, and all you have is Genji.”

 

Hanzo takes a deep breath, pushing the memory away. The pain the memories carry have been dulling recently, and the archer wonders if it has to do with his encounter on  _ Kodomo no Hi _ , the anniversary of Genji’s death. No, he refuses to think about that night. It only brings about more problems than he is capable of solving. Hanzo glances at the clock in his small room before grabbing his bow and quiver. The hunt, perhaps his last, begins.

* * *

“Ow! Hanzo, give it back, you meanie!” Genji glared up at his older brother who smugly held the boy’s newest _Gundam_ toy. Hanzo only held the toy up higher, sticking his tongue out at the younger.

“If you want it, come get it back!” Hanzo taunted, running away. Genji quickly gave chase, hands flying out desperately. The eight-year-old simply laughed and held his younger brother away with his longer arms. The five-year-old pouted and wiped at his eyes, feeling tears coming along. Genji let out a growl before lunging and tackling Hanzo to the ground. The two quickly devolved into a slap fight of sorts, their shouts and cries carrying throughout the courtyard. Maids heard and soon, their parents were there to break up the fight. Akemi went to soothe the crying Genji while Sojiro sat aside with the pouting Hanzo.

“So… Do you want to tell me what happened here, Hanzo? Why were you two fighting?” Hanzo folded his arms over his chest and let out a huff.

“Genji was being selfish and didn’t want to share his toy with me.” At the look his father gave him, the eight-year-old stamped a foot on the ground stubbornly.

“Now Hanzo… Genji is younger. He doesn’t know better yet. You as the older brother have the duty to show Genji the way. Teach him how to share. Be patient with him.” Sojiro knelt and put a hand on each of Hanzo’s shoulders. They stared at each other silently, before the younger slowly started to give in and calm down. “That’s my boy. Any time things get rough, just slow down for a second, take a deep breath, and relax. As the heir, you will face many tough decisions in your life, Hanzo. I know you can push through it all though so long as you have Genji by your side.” Sojiro stands and brushes off the lower part of his yukata before smiling at his oldest son. “Now come. I believe it is time I told you of the dragons.”

 

_ Dragons _ , Hanzo thinks in disbelief.  _ What utter nonsense _ . The archer glances over the rooftop he currently stood on to get a sense of his surroundings. Two guards stand by the entrance under a light, far enough away that they wouldn’t notice him unless they knew where to look. Another partols the alleyways nearby. Hanzo nocks an arrow into his bow and waits. Eventually, the guard turns a corner into an alley unseen by the previous two guards and releases. The string hums as the arrow whizzes through the air, sinking into the guard’s neck. The man falls without a sound, and Hanzo presses on.

Were they really the dragons, then Genji became an omnic like how the dragon of the north wind became a human. Then what should Hanzo become. The archer pauses, glancing at his metal legs. He huffs a sigh. No, any pain Hanzo has endured so far is nothing to that which Genji had suffered. Hanzo takes a deep breath in through his nose and releases it through his mouth to calm himself. Only minutes from now his target would appear. He needs to be ready.

* * *

 

“Again.” Hanzo stood still, hands on his knees as he tried to regain his breath. Sweat dripped down his face onto the _tatami_ mat beneath him. Sojiro tilted his head up in displeasure. “Hanzo, again!” The twelve year old stood upright, but made no other move to continue in his strict training. Instead, he turned towards his father with a frown on his face.

“Father, I have done this same set at least one hundred times now. I am tired of this. Must I continue?” The boy wiped his brow with the back of his arm, though with it covered in sweat as well, the effort proved fruitless.

“I do not like to repeat myself. Again!” Sojiro’s voice boomed out commandingly as he hit his _shinai_ against the mat to punctuate his demand. Hanzo frowned but knew better than to upset the elder. Though it was well hidden during his early childhood, Hanzo grew to learn the stern reputation his father held as the clan leader and the terrors he was capable of. Instead of endangering himself, the boy turned towards his sparring partner and practiced an advanced set of _kendo_ moves on him. Towards the end of his overhead strikes, Hanzo slipped on some of his dropped sweat and faltered, falling to the mat. Sojiro’s _shinai_ slammed against the ground again.

“Again!” the man roared. Hanzo glared up at his father but slowly pushed himself up from the mat. He took a few seconds to recollect himself and his _shinai_ before diving back into practice again. Smaller footsteps ran by the training dojo before coming back and stopping by the entrance. Hanzo didn’t allow himself the distraction and pushed himself through the set, finally landing the advanced combo successfully, pushing his sparring partner back.

“Wow! Amazing, _anija_! Father, when can I learn to do this?” Genji stood by Sojiro’s side, accentuating his question with several tugs on the elder’s sleeve. Hanzo frowned, seeing the frustration working through their father before the man let out a dismissive snort and pried his youngest son’s hand from him.

“Oh, Sparrow. Such an advanced set is unfit for you. You have neither the patience nor the skill to learn such a thing yet as you flit about the castle in your hobbies. Your brother however is learning the discipline and control necessary to do so. The difference between you two is so large that the performance you called amazing you could not even see was barely satisfactory. Hanzo, again. You are not leaving until you practice the set fifty more times. Perhaps one of those times you will get it correct.” Sojiro turned and left, sure that his eldest son would not disobey him. Seeing that he was now unsupervised, Hanzo fell to the mat ungracefully on his bottom and let his chest heave for the air it so desperately craved. Genji slowly approached his brother before squatting in front of him curiously.

“ _Anija_ , why does Father not smile anymore? Have you made him angry?” Hanzo gives his younger brother a sad smile before lifting a hand to pat his head. His sparring partner long forgotten in the exchange stepped forward, removing his head guard.

“Young master? Your father had instructed you to-”

“I know what my father as asked of me. I see no harm in taking a small break in order to perform to my best abilities.” Hanzo turned on the man harshly, taking on a demeanor he hoped mirrored his father’s. It was seemingly similar as the man backed away and made himself scarce. Now that they had time, the two brothers focused on each other again. “You should not worry about father, Genji. He is simply doing his job, work you know little of yet. Perhaps one day you will learn, but he is strict with me because I am older. When father is done with his job, I will do it. When I am done with the job, my oldest child will do it. That is just how this family works. Father and I are not angry with each other.”

“Work? But you’re twelve. You can’t work yet.” Genji’s nose wrinkled in confusion causing Hanzo to chuckle slightly. If anything, he was jealous of his younger brother’s freedom, but he also wanted him to keep it. Despite his assurance earlier, spite at being worked so hard is starting to build within Hanzo. He wanted to protect Genji from the same feelings for as long as he could.

“I am not working yet. I am just learning for the day that I will. It’s like going to school. We go to school to be working adults. This is the teaching father gives me.” Hanzo sits upright now that he has caught his breath. Genji frowns as he contemplates everything, though the meaning might be lost on the eight year old.

“It’s not fair though. We’re at school for so long, and you went off to middle school last year so we’re not even at the same school anymore. He can’t keep you for more school after that. We can’t play together like this.” Genji pouted and let his little fist hit the mat in a small fit.

“Perhaps… but without these extra lessons, things could go wrong. If I’m not careful… the dragons could eat you!” Hanzo quickly hopped forward to tickle his younger brother, causing the boy to reduce to a fit of giggles.

“No! Hanzo, stop it!” Genji tried swatting the elder away, but was weakened due to his laughter. Hanzo just continued his attack relentlessly, moving up to his knees to gain the leverage he needed. Eventually, the two settled down and Genji seemed satisfied, calmer. The younger got up to leave but stopped at the doorway. Hanzo who was about ready to resume his practice looked at Genji, sensing his hesitation. “ _Anija_ … Can I really not help you? With anything?”

Hanzo tightened his grip on his _shinai_ and bit his lower lip. Genji’s concerns were not unfounded. Even he could admit that ever since he began his training to take the role as clan leader one day, a rift had opened up between them that hadn’t previously been there. Hanzo however had no idea how to mend things.

“You already do, Genji. Continue to be a sparrow. Continue to stretch your wings and fly, and I will be happy knowing that you are enjoying yourself and that I will be able to join you when I can.” Hanzo offered what he thought was a comforting smile. It seemed to have worked as Genji just nodded and ran off to continue playing. As Hanzo turned back towards the mat, his sparring partner was already back in full gear, ready to continue.

“On your signal, Young master.” Hanzo regarded the man. They were alone, yet something still didn’t feel right.

“My father is not here. You have no obligation to call me as such.”

“Forgive me, Young master, but I do. You are different from me, above me. You always will be regardless of who is around. That is part of being the heir to the Shimada clan. Now, please, your practice, Young master. Before Sojiro-sama returns to find you idle.”

 

Those words had always left a foul taste in Hanzo’s mouth, but as a youth, he was unable to determine why. Now as an adult, he realizes it was the burden that came with being a Shimada. He is above others, but that made him enemies with the world. Every lesson ingrained into him as a child strove to make him rise above the challenges of his enemies, all while creating them at the same time. 

Hanzo huffs and watches the window closely. An arrow is already notched in his bow, aimed towards the desk visible behind the glass. The politician he has been sent to assassinate is about to leave, however he will not even make it to the door of his office. In the large office his prey currently sits, four guards standin various spots. Two are by the desk, standing tall and constantly referring to their ear pieces. One stands by the door, his back to it. Hanzo could only assume another unseen guard is on the other side if not two of them. The fourth and final guard makes sweeps around the room to look out of each window. Each time the guard passea by the window Hanzo aima through, the archer smirks, knowing he will pull off his kill without detection until it was too late.

His mark, an old balding man in his late fifties sits behind the mahogany desk, just out of Hanzo’s view. Papers scattered across the surface, but a large black suitcase sits atop those papers. The politician is quickly shoving various files inside, most likely to hide his involvement in different groups to provide the uprising he’s most known for solving in the area. Eventually, the man finishes his work and readies to leave. He stands, entering the dimly lit area in Hanzo’s field of view.

The archer pulls back on his string, ready to release the arrow into his victim. All five men move as one. The guard by the door turns and opens it, the two who were standing by the desk leaving first to case the hallway. As soon as the guard sweeping the room leaves the window unattended, Hanzo lets his arrow fly. His mark steps forward at just that moment, the arrow shattering the glass and sinking into his fat chest. The alarms sound faster than the guards react, but by the time any of the men think to look for the assassin, Hanzo is already far gone.

Several buildings away, Hanzo lowers himself into a room in an abandoned apartment complex. Beginning with his bow, he dismantles his partner and begins storing it in the cello case he carries. The arrows soon follow suit as well as the kyudo-gi Hanzo made his uniform. The scion quickly and methodically changes his outfit then makes his way to the city streets where he blends in with the crowd roaming from place to place. Another mark silenced successfully. This job didn’t exactly pay as well as most of his jobs do, however he was pleased to learn what scum this one was in his life through his investigations. Hanzo makes exceptions when he can punish men who get away with doing evil for far too long.

Punishing those who remain unpunished is yet another form of redemption for his past mistakes.

* * *

“Your father would be proud of the young man you have become, Hanzo.” So many times, the heir had heard similar words, yet nothing moved the numbness inside him. The man in question lifted his head from his bow to face the elders before him.

“Thank you, Touichirou- _san_. I am honored to take my father’s place, though I am sure I do not speak only for myself when I say I had hoped it would not happen for some time.” The practiced words left the archer’s lips, feeling just as emotionless as the many times he repeated it in his mind. There was little left for Hanzo now. His father had just passed last week, his mother gone four years prior. The elder council and Genji did not get along, so the sparrow spent most of his time away from Shimada Castle. Hanzo, with his pride, did not want to leave or abandon the family, so he stayed. It did not make things much more enjoyable however.

“You will do us proud, I am sure, but you have yet to convince us of your conviction to the clan, Young master.” Another elder, Tsubame, spoke, clicking her long fingernails together as if she were plotting something. Hanzo narrowed his eyes slightly in suspicion, but otherwise schooled his features.

“I am prepared to do what it takes for this family. The same was asked of my father, and the same of his. I will continue on the Shimada legacy. All that must happen is for you to show me how.” Hanzo slipped into a seiza before the elder council. The five seniors stared down at him in interest. His mother had luckily prepared him for this day before her untimely demise. The elders were easy to please if you knew the right words to say, but were also greedy and selfish. Their motives proved suspicious on more than one occasion, and Hanzo did not always believe their words.

“Who is your family, Hanzo? We are aware of what your witch of a mother taught you as a child.” Hanzo bristled at that. His mother had been a small joy in his life and did not deserve such slander. “You hold a bond to Genji, but what if we told you he was planning to betray us? What would you do?”

Hanzo froze. What would he do? The Shimada clan was his world, but if that was his world, then Genji was his sun. He could not have one without the other lest he live in darkness or be foolishly burned by flying too close like Icarus. An opposition between the two was always something Hanzo had predicted might happen, but to be betrayed by Genji was just… unthinkable.

“Though I know of your dislike of Genji’s frivolity, I can assure you that he will never betray us. Were that situation to occur…” he paused. What could he say that would be truth but would not lead his life to ruin? “I would confront him and beseech him to think of the clan. Though he lacks the discipline and interest in the clan that I was raised with, this clan is still his family. I have faith he would see that truth.”

The elders frowned and deliberated amongst themselves. It made the archer nervous. Of course, he sat still, his face neutral so they would never know. But hypotheticals is not how the elders deal in things. There must be a reason for this.

Finally, Touichirou cleared his throat, demanding attention. “We begin our meeting with this, Hanzo, because we have reason to believe that Genji is indeed planning on betraying the clan. Soon, you will have to decide who your family is. We, who will be able to guide you into a strong future, or your unseemly brother who would likely be unable to live on his own due to his… lifestyle.”

Hanzo narrowed his eyes, unable to keep the contempt away this time. “There will be no forcing me to choose between you as you are both my family. Genji is the last blood I have left, and you will not come between that.”

“You are right.” One of the oldest spoke up finally, waving a hand dismissively. “Other than you, Genji is the last of the bloodline of the main family. He is a disgrace to that. You may believe him to be an ally, but he is simply using you. We are eternal. The elder council has existed for generations and will continue to do so. Genji is fleeting with ties to no place. You cannot count on him.”

“I think  _ I  _ shall be the judge of that.” Hanzo huffed. Having heard enough, he stood and turned to leave. It is the call of Tsubame that forces him to stop.

“Genji is all you have, Hanzo. But can you say for a fact that you are all Genji has anymore? You know his habits. He  _ will  _ abandon you if given the chance.”

Those words haunted Hanzo for the rest of the night. It was as if Tsubame had been there when he first met Genji, recalling the same words his mother had said to him that day. His mother’s first lesson regarding Genji had shown him the strength their bond was supposed to have. The bond has been broken though through the years of training and neglect between them. Tsubame was eerily accurate.

Genji was all Hanzo had, but he wasn’t sure if he was all Genji had anymore.

 

Hanzo eventually returns to the apartment room he is renting for the time being under some unassuming name. He rubs at his temples, wishing the memories to stay away, but they keep coming, unbidden. The cello case is carefully set by the door as he wanders in. Though there is really no reason for him to believe so, he knows someone has been here while he was away.

The scion makes some tea before settling at his small table. Two envelopes sit before him. One is an annoyance, the other less so, but still unwanted. Regardless, he decides to look through both. The first is sealed with red wax, a long  _ T  _ emblazoned in the mold. Already knowing he will just dismiss the message, he reads the  _ Choose wisely and join us. We will be strong together _ before flinging the card in the garbage bin.

The second though has no way to tell who the sender is, Hanzo knows. The message  _ I am waiting _ reads loud and clear. If the archer were debating his options previously, this would have been the deciding factor. However, he knows an inescapable fate when he sees one. His hand as been forced like many years ago, but he does not nearly dread this as much as he does that night ten years ago.

* * *

Hanzo walked the halls calmly, things having finally settled after his father’s funeral was settling as well. Though all ceremonies had ended, social obligations had demanded much of his time the previous month. He was ready to wind down and relax when he came upon his brother’s voice coming from the balcony nearby.

“...calming down now. Now would be the time to come. Please act soon if you wish to be successful.” Hanzo approaches his brother silently, not wanting to disturb his phone call. Genji seemed to not notice his approach as he waited for a response. Whatever reply does come seemed to relieve the sparrow as he immediately begins thanking whoever is on the other side. “Tonight is perfect. You’ll be here in a few hours? I will try to tie up my loose ends so the operation can go smoothly.” Hanzo froze. Operation? Genji paced as he waited, a small victorious fist pumping as he did so. “Thank you. See you then.” The call is abruptly ended and as Genji turns, his good mood dissipated.

“That seemed like a good call. Expecting company soon?” Hanzo pried. Genji schools his features though some nervous tells still escaped him. The elders words of course chose that time to resurface. He didn’t want to suspect his younger brother of betrayal, but it seemed plausible.

“Hanzo… I didn’t think you liked to eavesdrop. Since when are you so concerned with my business?” The venom behind his brother’s words did no go unnoticed, but Hanzo brushed them off. They could talk about their problems another time. More pressing matters were at hand.

“As the new head of the Shimada clan, I am interested. Should I not know who is to enter the gates and extend them a warm welcome?” Hanzo hated the way they were dancing around each other, but neither wanted to spark the fire between them. Instead, the elder waited for an opening, something he could use to solve the tension in the air.

“Hmph, you sound like father. Do you really care for the clan that much? You want to continue his yakuza legacy and continue to earn blood money?” Hanzo huffed. He should have known Genji would not have the patience to settle things calmly.

“This is my life, Genji. You have yours so I do not see why what I do should earn such scorn from you who does nothing but play day in and day out.” Hanzo took a deep breath. No. This was wrong. Patience. Understanding. Control. Determination. Hanzo looked to his brother, ready to try again. “I was just curious, Genji. You’ve hardly shown your face around here since father died. I have missed you.”

Genji faltered in his anger at those words. The tension between them still existed, however that was more from the years of lack of communication than anything. “And I you, _anija_. Listen…” Genji began to wring his hands and Hanzo was immediately on guard again. His brother only did that when he had done something to be guilty of. “Do you remember when you said you would fly away with me one day? You might not have meant it, but I am still offering it to you. I can’t tell you much more, but you have to trust me, brother. Come with me.”

“Come with you? You make it sound as if you’re leaving.” Hanzo laughed in disbelief, but when the other remained silent, the laughter died as well. “You’re serious… What did you do?”

“I did what was right. Hanzo, the Shimada clan shouldn’t exist. You were much happier when we were younger, and I believe you could still be the same person again.” Genji was rambling.

“Genji, what did you do?” Hanzo asked again, stepping towards his brother. Icy fear gripped at his heart yet fiery anger controlled his head.

Genji sighed, running a hand over his face before facing his brother once more. “You want to know? Fine. I called Overwatch. They are on their way here, and when they get here, the Shimada clan is finished. I want you to come with me brother. Together, we can-”

“You did what?!” His voice came out as a roar as blood rushed to his head. The elders were right. Genji had betrayed the clan. Genji had betrayed him. The sparrow had been free to fly without restraint and now felt as though this was not his home.

“Hanzo, please listen to me. I just-”

“You betrayed us, Genji! I had believed in you, believed that you would be better. Yet here you are, driving a knife into our backs!”

“No, _anija_! Into _their_ backs! Can’t you see? They have been destroying this family and Hanamura for years! You’re so blind to the power they offer you that you can’t even see that they are the ones who killed mother and father!” Genji shouted, his hands waving wildly in his speech. Hanzo reeled. Mother had been assassinated and died a questionable death, but father had been ill. There was no way to orchestrate that death. Was Genji just spouting lies?

“What will become of me?! I hardly believe Overwatch would be so accepting to the new heir. You planned to desert me. You are the enemy here, Genji.” Hanzo’s hand strayed to the blade at his side. Genji tensed and automatically reached for his as well.

“ _Anija_ , please. I am trying to help you.”

“ _Help_ me?! I _was_ trying to help you and you betrayed me!” Finally having heard enough, Hanzo drew his blade and swung in his brother’s direction. Genji reacted quickly with his sword but was terribly off balance. 

The two brothers started to fight, Hanzo continuing to catch the other off guard as Genji was only trying to defend against the elder’s attacks. Hanzo was stronger, had better fundamentals than the sparrow who treated his lessons like a joke, but Genji was fast and quick to react. The fight between them remained rather even until Hanzo finally underestimated his brother. Genji took the opportunity to strike against Hanzo. Weakened, the elder sank to his knees, staring up at his brother in disbelief.

“Overwatch will be here tonight, _anija_ , and I will be leaving. The clan will be no more. Take this time to think about how you want to board their plane, as a guest with me, or as a prisoner with the clan.” The sparrow sheathed his sword and turned his back on Hanzo.

Hanzo heaved on the ground. Genji bested him in combat. Genji, who cared little for discipline had won. Genji, who had betrayed him was walking away. The dragons beneath Hanzo’s skin roared in anger and hunger. The elder rose up, seeing red as he readied his sword once more. Genji was unaware of this and was struck in the back as a result. He crumpled to the floor as the dragons consumed him, burning his flesh and causing multiple scratches to appear on his otherwise unmarked skin. A sick satisfaction settled in Hanzo’s stomach until the dragons returned to him sated and he saw what he had done.

“ _Anija_ …” Genji rasped out, his hand gripping his blade once more. Hanzo stepped back in fear of himself. He had cut his brother down and for what purpose? At least now, he knew of Overwatch’s arrival. He could prepare the clan and allow the arrivals to take Genji away so he would not be blamed.

It wasn’t until Genji stood once more with his blade turned towards Hanzo that he snapped out of his thoughts. The battle was still continuing. “Genji… Put your sword down. This battle is over… Go with Overwatch when they arrive and tell them to leave immediately. I will forgive you.”

“Forgive me? **_Ha_**!” Genji spat out blood from his mouth in contempt and turned his gaze towards Hanzo once more. “Now I know the clan has poisoned you. You will come with me, _anija_. I won’t lose you.” The sparrow tried to attack Hanzo once more, but he was incredibly weakened and slowed from his injuries. Hanzo easily sidestepped everything until he was sliced in his leg. With a hiss, he hopped back. Genji’s eyes were determined. If Hanzo wanted this fight to end and for Genji to live, he needed to end that determination.

Quickly, Hanzo stepped forward and sliced through his brother’s right thigh. The leg sliced off, sliding to the ground with blood pooling beneath it. Genji grunted but didn’t realize the loss of his limb until he tried to rest on it. He fell to the ground, blood pouring from the open wound. Hanzo watched, hoping that Genji would give up like on many other things in his life. Unfortunately, the younger used his sword to pull himself upright again, balancing on his left leg. 

“A… _Anija_ … Please…” Hanzo grimaced and sliced through the left leg next.

“Stay down, Genji. Please, don’t get up again.” The image of his brother before him without either of his legs haunted him. He felt bile rise in his throat knowing he was the one to do it to him. Hanzo was about to walk away when he heard more groaning. Genji was still attempting to get up to continue the fight, the sword scrambling for purchase in the blood soaked floors. The elder bit his lip. What was he to do?

“Hanzo…”

What was he to do?

Hanzo lifted his sword once more, and brought it down on Genji’s right shoulder, his sword arm. Though it stuck to the bone this time, Hanzo eventually drug it through, successfully removing the arm from his brother. Genji didn’t even make a sound, finally falling unconscious from the pain. The fight was over, but so most likely was Genji’s life. Hanzo sank to his knees, tears in his eyes. He had done this. All he wanted was his brother by his side in Shimada Castle, and now what did he have? He was a kinslayer. No doubt the elder council would be proud of him, but he couldn’t stand himself to even rise. Hanzo stared at genji’s face, twisted in pain yet peaceful in his slumber as well.

“Why did you stay your sword the first time? You could have… You _should_ have killed me, and yet because you didn’t I have killed you.” Hanzo dropped his _katana_ and brought out his _wakizashi_. “This life of mine means nothing without you. I do not deserve to live. Genji… I offer you my life in penance for my crime.”

The elder stared at his bloodied brother for a moment before raising his arm and wakizashi. His breaths left him shakily, though his resolve was steeled. There would be no stopping. He would pay for his crimes. There was no other way. Holding his next breath, Hanzo quickly brought the _wakizashi_ down towards his own stomach to begin _seppuku_.

“A... _Anija_ …”

The blade stopped just short of piercing his stomach. Hanzo looked towards his younger brother. The word must have unknowingly escaped his lips as Genji was still unconscious. The short sword clattered to the ground as Hanzo’s hands shook, tears streaming down his face.

“I am nothing but a coward… What right do I have to seek death? It would not be punishment enough… Besides, someone must remember Genji as he was.” Hanzo reasoned with himself. Killing him was only a quick and easy answer. He wouldn’t suffer as much as he would if he were to live on with the guilt forever. Making up his mind, the Shimada heir stood and made towards his room. Genji would have his change. The clan would be brought down, but Overwatch would not be the ones to do it.

 

Hanzo burns both letters in his garbage bin on his balcony. It hadn’t taken him long to gather his belongings as he makes it a habit to travel lightly. With just the disposal of his tracks left, his preparations to depart are finally coming to an end. A passport with a different name sits in his pockets, and though he is looking forward to the outcome of his travels, the anxiety shakes him just the same. Ten years was not enough to prepare him for the truth that confronts him, and two weeks even less to come to his decision. Still, Hanzo Shimada is not a man who runs away. Once his trash is done burning, small embers left in the bin, Hanzo gathers his cello case and lone suitcase and leaves the apartment.

Hardly anyone at the airport raises a brow at him. He passes through security in a breeze and waits for his next plane. Most of the others waiting among him seem dressed for the weather that would be waiting for them. Hanzo simply waits, the storm in his mind no match for the snow storm that would no doubt be awaiting his arrival.

* * *

Overwatch’s arrival to Shimada Castle made a small ripple in the water compared to the large waves Hanzo was making. The night he fought Genji, he packed, left, then returned with a bow in hand. Most of the guards fell to his arrows, and when it was finally understood that they were under attack from their own leader, many of the clan’s underlings fled. Only the higher ranking officers stayed to fight, though they all fell to Hanzo’s bow.

In that night, Hanzo was looking for the elder council, but only found Touichirou. The lack of elders was a concern, but Hanzo was simply looking forward to punishing the biggest menace in his life. The elder seemed to have been expecting him as he was not confused when the young heir showed his face. Instead, a smug expression danced across his face as he lifted a throwing dagger.

“So… This is the choice you have made? You were betrayed by Genji so you then turn and betray the clan after killing him. Your father must be rolling in his grave.” Touichirou narrowed his eyes, throwing the dagger in his hand. Hanzo easily dodged, knowing the attack was not meant to kill him. Warning shots were common in the family business.

“You are right. I must have disappointed my father tonight. I believed your drivel instead of following Genji. My mistake can never be undone, but I can at least right the wrongs you have caused in this family.” Hanzo readied an arrow and drew back on his string. The elder simply scoffed and remained unmoving in his seat.

“You sentimental fool. Your mother and father ruined a perfectly good heir teaching you about love. You could have had everything had you just cut your brother down like you were supposed to.”

“No, that is where you’re wrong. I would have money and power, yes, but at what cost? You are the one who is losing now. You have sacrificed so many of your own pawns in your play for power that now you are exposed. You will die alone and lose all that you have worked for. My game has just begun.” Hanzo releases the arrow. It lands between the elder’s eyes. Touichirou grunts, but just glares at Hanzo as the life slowly drains from his body. It is then that he can hear Overwatch’s approach. Not wanting to be caught yet, Hanzo retreats into the night. They may start their work, but Hanzo will cut down the strings from the inside out.

Eventually, he gets through the entire council until he finally ends with Tsubame. Though unplanned, she sought him out one night. The cherry blossoms having already bloomed now stood bare with only leaves sparingly decorating the limbs.  Hanzo immediately drew his bow at the appearance of his target, but she just holds up a hand.

“You will kill me tonight, of that I have no doubt, but you are incredibly foolish to believe it will change anything,” she began. Hanzo lowers his bow to continue listening. Most of the elders had some final words to impart, and he would certainly grant Tsubame hers. “The clan will not fall as easily as you believe it will. You always were easy to manipulate, and I believe the same is happening now. This turn on the clan is not unnoticed, but the position of clan leader is still yours. The clan will not die until you do. Take great care to not produce an heir. They will continue on the legacy as well. As long as the main family exists, so do the dragons in the shadows that serve them.”

“You expect me to believe this? You could be manipulating me right now.”

Tsubame simply chuckles and approaches the heir. Her wrinkly fingers reach out and grasp his face. The lack of shaking startled Hanzo, but did not distract from her next words. “There is your foolishness. You were never able to tell when I was the one manipulating you or not. After all, I know I am the one who placed the seeds of doubt about Genji in your mind. Were it not for me, he would still live.” Hanzo’s insides twisted, guilt returning full force accompanied by an unbridled anger. “You will learn one day if I am manipulating you currently or not, but until then, you will struggle. I will watch from the grave and take great enjoyment in it. Your efforts to destroy us are meaningless. You will see.”

Running out of patience, Hanzo drove the arrow in his hand through Tsubame’s throat. The woman choked, gurgled, then spat blood, but the sick look of satisfaction on her face never left. Even as her arms went limp and her hands left Hanzo’s face, she smiled at him as she fell to the ground.

 

_“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. The current time is 8:12 P.M. and the temperature is 12 degrees Celsius. Please take care to take all of your belongings with you and welcome to Nepal.”_ Hanzo stirs from his slumber to prepare to bring down the cello case from the overhead storage. The memory of Tsubame’s death leaves a foul taste in his mouth, but he shakes it off as he exits the plane.

As expected, no one waits for him at the airport. Hanzo takes his belongings outside and hails a taxi. The omnic behind the wheel is delighted to hear his destination at the Shambali monastery and rambles the whole ride about the monks who reside there. Hanzo half listens, but his distaste for the monks dwells within him. After all, these monks are… partially responsible for what has become of Genji currently.

When they arrive, it is as the base of a snowy mountain. The omnic tries to help the archer with his bags, but Hanzo shakes off the help. He pulls out a thick winter coat, pulls it on, then looks at the mountain before him. The omnic steps forward. “The stairs up to the monastery’s village begin there. Unfortunately, there are no roads that lead to them or I would have taken you closer. The trek is long up the mountain. I suggest you stay at the hostel here at the base and begin your ascent in the morning.” Hanzo follows the omnic’s gaze to a building to their right. It looked warm and comfy despite it’s wooden walls, and the archer wondered if there was even a hot spring there. Of course, if most guests were omnics, such a feature would be unnecessary.

“Thank you. I will be just fine though.” Hanzo hands money to the driver before watching the taxi leave back down the road from which it came. Now alone, the scion turns to the mountain before him. Of course, the stairs was the obvious path, but it was long and winding no doubt. Hanzo simply snorted at the thought of following it and began scaling the mountain on hand, glad for his gloves. With each grip hold he pulls himself along, grateful for the bit of workout.

When Hanzo reaches the summit, he finds a peaceful, snowy village before him. Surprisingly, a crowd stands in front of him as if they had expected his arrival. The many faceplates of omnic monks stare him down and he glances among the crowd, hoping to find his host among them. Finally, one omnic steps forward.

“Greetings. We have been expecting you as Genji tells us of your arrival. My name is Tekhartha Suryatta. Genji is currently in town conducting business for us, but we are to make you feel welcome here until he returns tomorrow morning.” The monk brings their hands together and lowers into a respectful bow. Hanzo returns the bow all while eyeing the omnic. This one wore a green medallion around their neck and white pants that blended into the snow behind them. The archer assumes this one carries some sort of authority in the monastery.

“Thank you. If you would please, just show me to some lodgings and I can wait for my bro-... for Genji’s return.” Hanzo inwardly winces at his words. Though he can accept Genji had somehow survived their fight ten years ago, Hanzo still is having a hard time accepting that the cyborg who found him is still his brother. Suryatta remains silent for a while, head tilting questioningly. Eventually, the monk nods and turns towards the village. 

“Of course. Please, follow me.” As Hanzo follows the monk into the village, the crowd around them slowly disperses though he can still hear the whispers about him. The archer bites his lip but otherwise carries himself tall and proudly. Genji had invited him, so he is not wrong to be here. He believes this even as he is shown inside Genji’s room. “I apologize that there are few doors in the village, however, you will still have privacy and warmth during your stay here. Genji had never complained about the cold, but if you ask for it, we can supply you with extra blankets.”

Hanzo walks inside, silent as he observes the cyborg’s room. Eventually, he shakes his head. “Thank you, but I will be fine… If I may be alone though…”

“Of course. Welcome to the Shambali. I hope your stay is a pleasant one under the eye of the Iris.” Suryatta bows once more before leaving Hanzo to his own devices. The archer however couldn’t be bothered to even lower the curtains for privacy. 

His brother’s _haori_ stands against the wall next to the mattress, white blending into grey and basic red flames dancing on each chest, and Hanzo is amazed that Genji had kept it all this time. Even more surprising than the _haori_ is on the other side of it, the wide painting that had once been in Shimada Castle. Their mother had had the painting commissioned before she died. To the left in the painting stood the two brothers, the one to be Hanzo readying a bow to be fired and the one to be Genji kneeling with his sword at the ready. A large dragon flew behind the two brothers, waiting for the order to devour their enemies. The words of the painting are still not lost on him.  _ Ware no toiki de ryuu mo kooru. _ With my sigh, even the dragon freezes.

Hanzo takes a deep breath to collect himself. He supposes Genji would have had time in the past ten years to return to Shimada Castle and take a few belongings. If anything, it makes the archer happy to see the cyborg want from their old home. Hanamura is just as much Genji’s home as it is his. Behind him, the scion looks at the few affects there. A katana and its sheath lie on display, the stand obviously from Shimada castle with the two dragons staring at each other on it. Hanzo smiles at the books and incense to the right, glad to see Genji having settled down to more relaxing hobbies than his old ones.

The most startling discovery comes in the form of a single picture frame. Hanzo had almost missed it, but now that he sees it, he is unsure if he will ever look at anything else again. The picture shows Hanzo and Genji standing together, most likely at some time during the younger’s college years if the green hair was anything to go by. Based on the traditional gear they donned, Hanzo bets he remembers the moment the picture was taken. It was Genji’s first outing on family business. Hanzo was in charge of course, but the sparrow had been the star of the mission. When things went south in ways the elder could not smooth over diplomatically, Genji’s speed and skills with his sword had saved the lives of many Shimada men. Hanzo had never been more proud of his younger brother than he had been in that moment, not because Genji was taking the family business seriously, but because it was the first time that he had seen just how much his younger brother had grown during their time apart. Hanzo takes the picture in his hands, fingers ghosting over the frame. For what good shape the picture is in, the archer realizes that his brother had been serious about what hope he held for Hanzo and their relationship.

“I was assured I would have privacy during my stay here, but I don’t recall inviting a guest. State your name and business now,” Hanzo orders, placing the photo down. He hadn’t heard his sudden visitor’s entrance, but he hadn’t needed to. The telltale signs of an omnic had been enough. He turns to face the monk, taking in the blank faceplate, orbs rotating around their neck and tattered brown pants.

“I apologize for the disturbance. I had just wanted to introduce myself to the brother of my brightest pupil. Tekhartha Zenyatta. It is a pleasure to meet you, Shimada Hanzo.” The monk extends a bow, one the archer does not return. Instead, his eyes narrow at the monk. So this was the one filling Geni’s mind with this spiritual conspiracy.

“Yes, now you have met me. I believe you have no more business here.” Hanzo turns to the mattress resting on the wall and moves to make it for sleep. He didn’t need the mattress really, but he hopes it will be enough of a hint for the monk to leave him be.

“Hmm… I sense within you the same rage that once consumed your brother.” The monk speaks up again, slowly as if searching for footing on a frozen over pond. Hanzo sends a sharp glare over his shoulder. 

“We are nothing alike!” He huffs and slams the mattress on the ground. The end just barely misses the monk’s feet. He feels childish for this outburst, but his words ring true all the same. Genji had been unjustly wronged when he had only been trying to do the right thing. Hanzo is a man filled with guilt and shame yet still proud and ruthless. To compare their feelings is the same as comparing a fish to a bird.

“You might be right. To say they are the same is not true, yet you do feel rage just as your brother once did. Though a different type, the rage is there just the same.”

“And what, you want to offer to help me? Ha! You will find yourself unable to do so. Now please, just leave me be.” Hanzo rushes to the other doorway and lowers the curtains there. All that is left standing in his way of solitude is this Zenyatta and the doorway behind him.

“Just one last question if I may… Shimada Hanzo, what are you looking to gain from joining your brother like this?” Hanzo pauses. Ah, so the monk is merely protective of Genji. Smart. The archer levels a stare at him and composes himself.

“Redemption. Though I do not deserve it, I have his forgiveness. I must take it and continue to move forward to make amends for what I have done.” The monk says nothing, and though the faceplate cannot reveal his emotions, Hanzo can see the small change in the other’s demeanor. Zenyatta seems to lighten, relieved at the answer he received.

“I see. Thank you, and good night.” With those words, Zenyatta leaves and the archer quickly drops the curtains behind him to have his solitude. Hanzo glances to the picture, bringing it close to him as he falls to the mattress. He smiles at the fondness between the two and begins to drift to sleep. 

 


	2. Please, Genji, Just Stop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo moves to the watchpoint with Genji and gets acquainted with the few agents who are there. Some introductions go about as well as Hanzo expects them to go while others... Genji's laughter certainly did not help matters any.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya! I'm back with a hot new chapter for y'all to enjoy. I had hoped to have this out yesterday, but that didn't happen. I'll have to figure out some sort of day that works best for me to update on, but I will try to update weekly. Doesn't really help that I started a new job and need to get used to it, but I'll get there at some point. 
> 
> Before we start, I'd really like to say a big thank you to those of you who left a comment on the last chapter. I was a bit too busy with work and writing to respond, but I do hope to respond to all comments from now on! It was funny because the first comment came so soon after I published the chapter that I thought my IRL friend had done it, but it wasn't her so I just looked dumb when I accused her of it. Anyways, tysm for the love and I can't wait to hear more from you guys! But for now, please enjoy the chapter!!

When Hanzo next wakes, it is to a gentle hand on his shoulder. It should be disorienting, but when the archer sees his brother’s scarred face, he relaxes further in the mattress. “Genji, you’ve returned.”

“I have, brother.” _Brother_. No longer is Hanzo _anija_ , but brother. He supposes it is still an endearing term, but it just shows that their past is long gone. The archer sighs and sits upright.

“When I arrived last night, I heard you were on business in the city. I did not expect you to return so early.” He glances outside to see the sun still only trying to rise, the sky a bright pink with no traces of the star just yet. Genji chuckles and moves about the room.

“Yes, every year the city asks for an update on the monastery. With the weather, most of the monks would not have been able to make it down the mountain, so I went instead. I… was unsure if you’d come, but I hoped you would.” Genji’s robotic fingers trace the picture frame in his room. Hanzo glances at it before looking back to his younger brother.

“I was surprised to see much of the castle here in your room. I suppose you went back for them some day?” The awkward conversation continues leaving an uneasy feeling in Hanzo’s stomach. Were it ten years earlier, there would be no need for this kind of back and forth between them. But this he supposes is also part of his penance.

“Yes, but I am ashamed to admit it did not happen in one trip. There were things I wished to forget… Things it took time for me to admit I wanted here with me…” Genji’s eyes fall to floor in the confession. Hanzo can hardly blame him for it. After all, it is the archer’s fault the sparrow now lives in the body of an omnic.

“I see… Will you be taking anything with you to Overwatch?” This seems to be the right thing to say as Genji brightens again. The quick change in mood is so nostalgic, Hanzo swears he feels 15 again.

“Of course! I could hardly leave the painting mother commissioned for us behind. As for this…” Genji picks up the picture. “It is a nice picture… but I will have no need for it with you by my side, brother.”

“Perhaps you should still bring it. Neither of us still look like that after all. It has been about 15 years.” Hanzo stands and stretches. Genji barks out a laugh at that.

“I suppose you are right. Now, you look like you suck lemons daily and your greys are showing.” Hanzo bites his cheek but sends his brother a disapproving glance. The younger just laughs and looks to the door. “Well, when you are ready brother, we should be set to leave soon. There are just a few monks I wish to say my goodbyes to first.”

“Of course. I should be ready by the time you return.” As the younger Shimada leaves, Hanzo briefly wonders if one of the monks Genji will say goodbye to is the one who introduced himself as his master last night. The monk could be accompanying them as well, but with Genji already gone, it is too late to ask. Instead, Hanzo sets about tidying the room, placing the mattress back against the wall, and gathering his belongings. He ends up doing this much faster than he had expected to so he stands outside to wait.

The cool, crisp air offers some clarity to the elder Shimada. Things are still awkward between the brothers. This Hanzo had enough foresight to see. On his path towards redemption, Hanzo knows he will encounter change, but he is still unsure just what he wishes to change. The easy answer is to change himself, be the better person Genji hopes he can be. The answer Hanzo is ashamed to admit he wants is for Genji to change, to rescind his forgiveness and punish the elder in a way that will finally put his soul to rest. With the sun finally beginning to show over the mountain peaks, Hanzo knows that this will all end in only one way.

At the end of the road to redemption, Hanzo will die.

Be it at the hand of Genji himself or one of Overwatch’s enemies, Hanzo is prepared to see his life end in battle.

“You seem tired. Perhaps you should rest more before we depart.” Genji’s voice is low and calm, a tone Hanzo rarely heard in their past.

“I am always tired, Genji. Do not concern yourself with me. I am fine to travel.” Hanzo hoists a bag up higher on his shoulder and turns to appraise his brother. The cyborg holds a lone bag and nothing else. “I thought you were bringing the painting with you.”

“It is too large to carry right now. The monks will have it shipped to the watchpoint for me,” Genji explains. He begins leading the way out of the village and towards the city. Hanzo thinks nothing of their journey until he recalls the omnic monk who visited him last night.

“Did you say goodbye to your master earlier? I had thought you would want to bring him along.” Genji gives his brother a confused look, visible with the mask removed.

“You know of Master Zenyatta? Unfortunately, he has not been in the monastery for a couple of years now. He travels doing some volunteer work for omnic communities, but we do keep in touch.” Hanzo stops.

“What? Impossible. Then who was the monk I met last night that introduced himself as your master?” Genji stops as well, a confused frown on his face.

“I do not know… Surely Master is not here though or I would have known about it.” Hanzo hums but drops the subject. An overprotective omnic for sure.

The two brothers silently make their way down the mountain. Eventually, they reach the small lodging area the taxi had dropped the archer off the night before. Much to Hanzo’s surprise, Genji stops and checks a device that was in his bag. Once he is satisfied, the cyborg tucks the device back in the bag and nods to a nearby bench. “Our ride will be here shortly. We can sit there while we wait.”

Hanzo is compelled to check his watch. It is only just past 7 in the morning in Nepal. Just who could possibly be picking them up on the side of a mountain at this time? 

In a few short minutes, Hanzo hears the humming of an approaching vehicle. He sets his eyes to the road path before them, but his brother simply looks to the sky. A smile tugs at Genji’s scarred lips and he puts a hand on Hanzo. “That is our ride.” The archer glances up and really shouldn’t be as surprised to see the large air ship moving towards them as he is. The plane is obviously marked with Overwatch decals and symbols. Hanzo realizes that it was probably an aircraft much like this one that Genji had been transported in ten years ago and he suddenly feels grateful that his little brother had done something right by contacting Overwatch.

Eventually, the aircraft lands in the open space in the small town’s center. Genji starts moving towards its lowering doors, Hanzo not too far behind. The archer more hears than sees the woman’s approach, but her appearance is also as loud as her personality it seems.

“Genji, luv! It’s so good to see you again! I’ve got the Orca all fired up and ready to head back to Gibraltar after a quick pit stop and some main-” The small British woman stops in her words when her brown eyes lock onto Hanzo. Before the archer can say anything, the woman just disappears, a streak of blue left where she stood. Hanzo blinks. The blue streak brightens as the woman reappears with two pistols in her hands aimed for his head. “Genji! It’s him! What are you doing, luv?! I can hardly believe you have no idea he’s followed you here. How’re you so calm?”

Genji laughs and places a hand on the woman’s shoulder when he stands next to her. “Lena, please. He is hardly a threat. He is coming with us to Gibraltar to join Overwatch.” Though Hanzo and Genji had gone through much training to keep their emotions hidden lest they be used against them, the archer finds that is obviously not the case with the woman before him. Her face shifts from confusion to shock to anger to a bitter acceptance in just seconds. Eventually, she huffs a sigh and puts the guns in the holsters on her hips.

“Alright, I suppose it’s your choice. I just thought that when the big guy had said you went to solve everything that he’d meant you went to finish things for good. The tosser here doesn’t look the Overwatch type, but I won’t go to spare on it. Whatever might happen is between you two and the big guy, but don’t say I didn’t warn you, Genji~” The woman’s voice is light and song-like as she skips back towards the aircraft. Genji just laughs, hands on his belly much like in his youth and takes the woman in stride.

“Didn’t you say you were going to take a pit stop?” The ninja asks. Lena pauses to consider both him and Hanzo for a moment before shaking her head.

“I was going to, but it can wait… ‘Sides…” Though she doesn’t say anything, her eyes flicker over to Hanzo. Both men receive the message loud and clear. _I don’t want to leave you alone with him._

“If you can do it, then that is fine. My brother is weary from his traveling and it would perhaps be best to have him settled at the watchpoint sooner rather than later.” Genji just boards the aircraft like nothing is amiss causing Hanzo to huff out a sigh. At least some things hadn’t changed in ten years, like Genji’s penchant for just breezing through life.   The archer silently boards alongside the cyborg and glances around the large plane. There is a basketball court immediately inside which boggles Hanzo to no end. The fact that there are also three floors inside the plane is another mystery for him to solve one day. At least the two large tables make sense as he assumes one is for mapping and planning while the other is for briefing.

Hanzo eventually takes a seat near Genji, not quite ready to sit beside him but not wanting to seem as if he is avoiding the man he should now call his brother. It looks as though Genji is about to speak, but it is a woman’s voice Hanzo hears first.

“Genji, I’m betting you haven’t even told the others of this development yet, have you? It would probably be a good idea to call everyone up and let them know that he’s coming along. I can only imagine how Angela or Jesse would react to the news. Better to give them a heads up, don’t you think?” Lena is leaning through an archway that leads to the cockpit, her brows raised impossibly high. Hanzo holds back another sigh. This is obviously the woman trying to be subtle and polite, but all it is serving to do is put the archer on edge. Genji ignores the tension in his older brother’s body and stands instead.

“That’s a good idea, thank you, Lena. I’ll get started on that.” The ninja walks away to another corner of the ship. Hanzo continues sitting in his now empty corner. Lena glances the archer’s way and bites her lip before glancing back over to Genji.

“Alright, well… you do that! I’ll be lifting off basically as soon as I get back in the pit. The whole flight should only be about an hour or two, so make sure you get all your talking and napping in when you can.” With those words, Lena disappears behind the corner and into the cockpit. 

Hanzo can hear Genji already talking on a comms device—though there isn’t one to be seen so it must be bluetooth or discreet—and soon enough, the roar of the plane’s engines start up. Knowing that the cyborg will be busy for a while, Hanzo folds his legs in and closes his eyes. It has been a while since he last meditated. He can use some peace for once.  He tries to ignore Lena’s behavior towards him, but instead he just accepts it. He will be receiving treatment of a similar caliber or worse when they arrive at the watchpoint. It is just best to accept and prepare for it than to fight it out and create more drama. He would question if he is making the right choice by joining Overwatch, but before the question even finishes, Hanzo has his answer.

Of course joining Overwatch is the right choice. In fact, it is the only choice. His life was made forfeit the night he commited that grave act of (attempting) murdering Genji. Rightfully, his life belongs to Genji. The man in questions sees good use for it in Overwatch, so that is what will happen. His skills are needed, so he will provide. He also deserves the scorn any members might give him. They will not have to like him so long as everyone acts professionally and does not let their personal feelings interfere with their work. Even if it did, Hanzo is sure he is either skilled enough to survive and escape or finally have his soul freed by death at the hands of a worthy opponent who has earned the kill.

The brief thought of getting distracted while at Overwatch crosses his mind, but he immediately scoffs and dismisses it. He knows better than anyone that he is a dead man walking. Distractions couldn’t happen, and even if they did, it would only add to his sins. It wouldn’t be fair to forge a close relationship with anyone knowing that his story will only end in death. Besides, the only relationship he needs to focus on is his one with Genji.

It isn’t long until he can sense the ninja’s presence beside him, but the two continue to sit in silence. Of course, Hanzo assumes it is mostly due in part that a lot of time has passed them by. During his meditation, he heard his brother speak to the famed Jesse and Angela as well as a couple of other people. He could swear he heard the word “master” in there somewhere as well, but seeing as the omnic did not join them on their trip to the base, the archer assumes that the monk will not be joining.

Soon after Genji joins him—within perhaps five minutes or so—a loud ping is heard throughout the aircraft and Hanzo opens his eyes. “Hello, luvs! It’s Lena, your captain speaking. We should be ready to touch down at the watchpoint in about… 2 minutes or so, so I suggest you get ready to stretch your legs out. See you soon!” Hanzo sighs as the intercom shuts down.

“Is she always so…”

“Loud?”

“I was going to say enthusiastic… but yes, I suppose loud works as well.” Hanzo pinches the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache starting up. Genji just laughs and claps a cold metallic hand on the elder’s shoulder.

“She is always as energetic as she is now. Whatever mood she is in, you will know because she will never let you forget it. Unfortunately brother, you will have much to endure if you think Lena is too much for you. There are many… loud personalities in Overwatch… myself included.”

“Hmm… Noted.” The plane lurches forward, causing the Shimada brothers to jolt to their side with the way the seats run horizontally to the plane’s movement. Hanzo grips at the seats while Genji seems hardly affected at all. Another thing to take notice of: Lena’s lack of concern for a smooth flight.

“Well, we are here. Let us get you inside and to bed,” Genji starts for the hangar door.

“To bed?” Hanzo grabs his cello case and follows after the ninja. Genji just faces his brother and tilts his head questioningly.

“Yes, to bed. We left Nepal so early in the morning. What time do you think it is here?” Hanzo pauses. Considering Nepal and Gibraltar are in the same hemisphere and Gibraltar is notably West of Nepal, without even knowing the specifics, Hanzo at least knows that is early morning currently at the Overwatch base. He sighs and Genji takes that as a cue to continue. “This way things will run a lot smoother. There will be less questions asked about people coming to and from the base if there is no one around to notice. New arrivers can rid themselves of jet lag and get a bit of rest before starting orientation, and it will help get us used to the inconvenient time changes of travel our missions demand. I will take you to your room that I talked about with Winston—our leader of sorts for now—and then later in the morning, I will take you around the base to get a tour and paperwork completed.”

“I see… That is surprisingly efficient. I guess I could have expected that of Overwatch, even if it is operating illegally now, but I never would have expected it of you, Sparrow.” Genji pauses before lifting the small sack higher up on his shoulder.

“Many things have changed, brother… Now come, I will take you to your room.” Hanzo follows the cyborg as they enter the base, the latter having tossed a quick farewell to Lena who is tending the ship for post-flight maintenance. The archer pays no attention to the turns and hallways they take, knowing that he would just get a detailed tour later. It would be a lie if he were to say that he isn’t tired and exhausted from his many hours of travel, so he isn’t exactly fighting the suggestion to rest.

Eventually, Genji stops and motions with a hand to the door before them. “Well, this is your room. Tomorrow we will get your ID created and grant you full access to the base, but for now, I can open it for you. Athena, if you’d please?”

_ Welcome back, Agent Shimada. It is good to see you again. _

Hanzo stills at the feminine robotic voice coming from seemingly nowhere and everywhere at the same time. The door opens automatically before him and it is enough to put the archer into full alert, dropping into a battle ready stance. Genji just laughs beside him and enters the room as though nothing is wrong.

“Oh, sorry, I forgot to mention: This is Athena. She is Overwatch’s AI who helps with our security, mission planning, record keeping, etc. Tomorrow we’ll get you set up with her.” Hanzo lets out a sound of affirmation, still a bit speechless at the AI the archer suspects is a god program. He steps into the room, pleased at the blankness of it. The furniture is standard—a bed, a dresser, a desk, a nightstand—and there is a small bathroom attached to the left side with a toilet, sink, and small shower stall (no bathtub though much to Hanzo’s disappointment). Genji rubs his hands together nervously before gesturing to the room again. “Well… This rooms is yours anija until both Overwatch and the world agrees the world is fine without us… I’ll come back for you in a couple hours, probably around 10, so in about… 5 hours or so. Rest well, Hanzo.”

The archer turns and nods. “Goodnight… brother…” Though the word was incredibly hard to say, Hanzo is glad he did when he sees the other’s body language brighten up and a large smile tugging on the scarred lips. Genji waves and nearly bounces towards the door.

“Yes, goodnight, brother!”

Hanzo nods and finally relaxes once the door shuts behind Genji’s departure. He had done well to last so long with a constant reminder of his sins in front of him, but despite the exhaustion and guilt wracking his body, a small joy warms his heart at knowing he can still cause his younger brother to smile so brightly. He had thought he had robbed the world of that light long ago.

* * *

“So that was the training room, which once you have access to Athena and the base, you can enter at any time and run a bunch of different training programs to sharpen your skills. I’ll warn you though, our doctor has given Athena some pretty strict rules on the room, so she’ll warn you to stop if you push yourself to hard or hurt yourself. It’s nice since it stops us from getting hurt, but I’ve seen plenty of agents be forced to stop in the middle of getting out their frustrations…” Hanzo nods. So far the tour has been very informative, and he can almost guess at what Genji’s life was like after he had joined the organization years ago. The two turn a hallway as the cyborg continues to chatter away about their doctor and strict health regulations as well as the ways to get around it.

“Ah, Genji. It is good to see you.” The two Shimadas turn to new light, angelic voice flitting after them down the hallway. Hanzo blinks at the blonde woman before them, obviously knowing who she was because of her numerous medical journals and discoveries posted. The Shimada elders had wanted much of her technology in their hospitals, but the woman was very protective of her work. Seeing Genji beside him, he can understand why that would be. “Oh, who is that with you…? **_Oh_** …” The woman’s voice turns bitter towards the end.

“Angela…” Genji’s voice was warning as he took a step in front of Hanzo to block him.

“It’s quite alright, Genji. I already told you over the phone last night that I will respect your wishes, but that doesn’t mean I have to like him.” The woman turns a sharp glare to the archer who simply stands his ground. Finally, the backlash he had been waiting for. “I know what you’ve done, and I happen to think you’re foolish for coming here just to cause more pain. However, when I completed my medical school and began practicing as a doctor, I was sworn under oath to provide treatment for every and any patient, no matter my feelings or beliefs on the matter. The same unfortunately applies to you, Mr. Shimada, so if you ever find yourself needing anything—though I truly hope you won’t—please come see in the med bay. For now, leave me to my unpacking and wait until tomorrow for your physical and baselines.”

Hanzo nods, impressed with the woman’s professionalism. She obviously could pose quite a threat if she wanted to, but she is still bound to helping anyone she can. It is quite the admirable trait. “I understand, and trust me, doctor, I want to make myself as scarce as possible on this base during my time at Overwatch.” She stares at him appraisingly for a while before nodding.

“Yes well… good. I shall see you around then. Genji, don’t forget that we have to redo your physical and baseline too, so I’ll be seeing you as well~” Her voice took on the light and warm tone it is obviously meant to towards the end of her words. Genji visibly pouts and flops his arms around like a child.

“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat? Angela, please. Can you not just use my records from before?” He turns his large, pleading puppy dog eyes on the doctor who doesn’t fall for it for even a second—a feat Hanzo can honestly say he has yet to achieve.

“Perhaps I could have been lenient and done that if someone hadn’t gone and changed the design of his cybernetics. If you want my treatment done Genji, I need to take a look at everything again.” She levels him a stare that means business before smiling and waving them away. “Well, farewell. I will see you both soon!” Without waiting for any reply, the doctor makes her way down the hall back towards the medical bay Genji had shown Hanzo earlier.

Genji sighs and puts his hands behind his head before continuing to walk forward. “Well, that was Angela Ziegler. She’s called Mercy out in the field, and she was Overwatch’s top doctor back in the day and as of right now, our only medic. She might have quite the attitude behind her, but I assure you she is harmless, brother. The most she could do is nag your ear off about how something you are doing will lead to your eventual death because it is unhealthy. A lot of recruits back in the day always jokingly called her ‘Mom’ behind her back.”

“I see… And am I correct to assume that she is also the one who…” _The one who made you like this?_ He can’t say it. After all, the injuries were the fault of Hanzo. Dr. Ziegler’s work only saved Genji’s life, not ruined it.

“For the most part. Her specialty is in nanite medicine, but she mostly did the life-saving stuff. She put my insides together and closed all of the dismemberment wounds. Overwatch’s mechanic is the one who made my prosthetics and combat suit. He isn’t here yet, and Winston isn’t sure when he’ll get here if he does.” Genji explains everything nonchalantly like talking about his almost death is as common as talking about the weather. It puts a frown on Hanzo’s face but he remains quiet. Were he to say something, surely his brother would just comfort him and take the attention of the conversation away from where it should be, on Genji.

“It looks like Overwatch had many capable people back in the day. It would be advantageous of all of them returned,” Hanzo says. They have made it back to the barracks entrance and now just have to traverse a few courtyards to the administration building. Genji drops his arms from his head and frowns.

“Overwatch would be better off if some never do join again. Forgetting the dead, there is one doctor in particular I wish to never see again. Back when we first became acquainted, I cared little for her beliefs, but now that I am not so consumed with rage, I can only see her blatant disregard for human life in the name of science. Keeping her on our team surely only made things worse when the world began to air out Overwatch’s skeletons.”

“I suppose that at the tail of every dragon’s head, there lies a snake.” The same could be true of almost any organization, but the corruption of Overwatch ultimately led to many deaths in the world due to conflicts.

“Corruption is hard to detect and nearly impossible to snuff out once it has infiltrated the main body… but hopefully this Overwatch shouldn’t have that problem. Especially with Overwatch being illegal, only those with good intentions should join.”

“Then are you-” Hanzo couldn’t stop himself fast enough. _Then are you sure that I should be here?_ almost left his lips. A few words did escape causing Genji to pause. Just as it seems as though the cyborg would say something, there is a loud explosion and several crashes and clangs from inside a nearby building cause both Shimadas to go on alert. The two look at each other briefly before running inside the building they heard the noise from. Once the door opens, dark smoke billows outside, floating up towards the sky.

“Winston? Are you in here?” Genji asks as they walk inside slowly. Due to his mechanics, the cyborg is most likely fine breathing in the smoky air, but Hanzo crouches to stay low and is careful with his breaths. From further inside the room comes a couple of coughs, drawing both men’s attention.

“Genji? Yes, I’m here… Sorry about the mess. Athena, can you turn on the ventilators again?” The voice is deep but soft, something Hanzo might expect the new leader of Overwatch to be. He imagines this Winston is rather large considering the timbre of his voice, but most likely has a kind face.

_Of course, Winston._

Hanzo stiffens at the voice of the AI again but tries to relax. Soon enough, a loud whirring sound fills the room and the smoke starts to get sucked upwards into the vents. There is more coughing from this Winston and the clattering of a few items being placed somewhere. Hanzo and Genji follow the noises towards the center of the large room. The archer notices some small things that seem out of place. There is a crunch underneath his foot which causes him to look up. The windowed wall above him blocking off the office on the second floor has a large gap in it. In the far back corner, there is also a large tire swing placed rather high. It would take an incredible feat for a human to reach that height from the ground alone. Not to mention the incredible amount of peanut butter jars and banana peels that lie around it. Even for stress eating, Hanzo finds it an odd combination.

A heavy sigh drags Hanzo out of his exploration. “I wish there were less explosions involved in science. It’s a pain to constantly be cleaning up.” Hanzo finds himself face to face with a large gorilla wearing armor who is currently cleaning up a bit of mess. He blinks and lets out a short laugh.

“Incredible… Is this one of this Winston’s works? It has to be a robot based on its armor.” Hanzo reaches towards the gorilla and reels when he feels real fur in the gaps that the armor doesn’t cover. The gorilla winces uncomfortably which makes the archer promptly remove his hand. “Ah, so it’s a real gorilla. This scientist must be a good trainer to have it be so well coordinated. I must admit, I was a bit skeptical about this meeting, but now I am looking forward to meeting your Winston. Where is he, Genji?” A quick glance at his brother, and Hanzo knows something is wrong. The ninja’s face is red and it is obvious he is trying to stay quiet. Then, there is an awkward chuckle next to him and Hanzo’s attention is back on the gorilla.

“Well… I see Genji left out some… _details_.” The gorilla adjusts the too small glasses on his nose and taps his fingers together rather awkwardly. “Hi there. I’m Winston, the scientist. It’s nice to meet you, Hanzo Shimada.” Hanzo is stunned into silence. The gorilla speaks. The gorilla is a scientist. Before he can stop it, Hanzo laughs once more before turning his back and walking away.

“No,” he says between laughs. He brings a hand up to his forehead. Perhaps he’s gone insane. “ **No**. _No_ , just... ** _no_**. I’m sorry, but a talking scientist gorilla is the one who initiated the recruitment of the new Overwatch and will be our leader? No. Stop these games immediately.”

“Wow, I haven’t seen my brother like this years. Nice one, Winston!” Genji claps the large gorilla on the back. “Winston” just sighs and adjusts his glasses.

“I wasn’t trying to upset him, Genji... Ahem, Mr. Shimada, I can understand why you would have your...reservations about this, but please believe me. I really am Winston, though I’m not sure if I’m the best to lead this new group.”

_Hanzo Shimada, it is true. Winston is the one who built me after all._ The AI’s words finally pull some response out of the archer other than disbelief as he glances towards the ceiling.

“Is that so?... Perhaps I was too harsh then. I apologize.” Hanzo shifts into a bow. “Shimada Hanzo at your service. Please, use me as you see fit to benefit Overwatch and its purpose. My skills as a sniper are nearly unrivaled.”

“Yes, well… Welcome to Overwatch. If you’d come with me, let’s get you unofficially officially instated as an Overwatch member.” The gorilla—Winston—smiles at Hanzo and leads them upstairs.

The process takes a while and is rather thorough. For a gorilla, Winston is very meticulous about the smallest things, a trait Hanzo actually appreciates. With a tablet, Hanzo fills out various information about himself ranging from background information such as his country of origin and languages he can speak to preferred battle methods to allergies to hobbies and so on. Eventually, the system is satisfied with the information gathered on him and he is lead to do several scans. Each of his fingerprints, his whole hand, his height, his eyes, and his voice are all recorded for easy access to places on the base as well as to Athena. Then finally, they give Hanzo his rights on the base to the training room, to his own quarters, the recreation rooms, the training room, and various permissions to the med bay that are no doubt less than a doctor’s would be.

“Alright, that should be it for all of the boring administration stuff. How are you doing, Hanzo? Do you think you will enjoy your time here at Overwatch?” Winston asks, relaxing in his large tire seat. Honestly, all of the signs pointed to a gorilla living here, Hanzo had just ignored them and feels foolish now in hindsight.

“Yes, I am sure I will be able to greatly help Overwatch. Thank you for everything, Winston.” Despite his words, the gorilla just frowns.

“Hanzo, this isn’t just an organization where you become a nameless number in the crowd. Overwatch, the members and myself included, all care about everyone on this base. Don’t force yourself on our account. After all, Overwatch serves us about as much as we serve it. Remember that please.” Hanzo is leveled with a knowing stare. The Shimada just bows and turns his back.

“Yes, thank you.” As Hanzo leaves, he can feel his brother following close behind him but remaining quiet. Eventually, the two find themselves walking back towards the barracks.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about calling Winston a gorilla. He knows it himself and has gotten a lot worse too. If anything, it was actually pretty funny.” Hanzo just hums in response. Though it is true he was worrying about what the new provisional leader thought of him, Hanzo also cares not whether or not he is liked on the base. “Oh come on! Stop sulking. You’re not in any trouble.”

“Yes, that is precisely the problem. Calling a gorilla as such surely merits nothing of note, but… there are other things that I have done that Overwatch is willing to forgive. It makes no sense to me,” he admits. Genji’s smile drops as does his good mood. Just when he thinks the ninja will try to comfort him, Genji starts talking about something else.

“Do you know the reason why Overwatch disbanded, brother? I know that they weren’t that famous in Japan, so I’m unsure if you know.”

Hanzo frowns. “The United Nations simply decided that Overwatch was too biased towards certain situations and would soon be beyond control, right?”

Genji shakes his head. “Well, that’s a part of it, but the whole story is something more… Overwatch had a secret black ops division called Blackwatch. I was a part of that. After all, having an ex- _yakuza_ cyborg ninja in the main forces would draw a lot of unwanted attention to the organization. Eventually, the world found out about its existence and the cruel things Blackwatch had done to maintain order. The U.N. started to distrust us, and more secrets even I am still unaware of came to light, so we got shut down.” Hanzo frowns.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“What I’m saying, brother, is that Overwatch was not the perfect world-saving organization you think it was. We are trying to correct that now with the recall, but everyone did things they are not proud of. If they can forgive themselves but not find it in them to forgive you, then they would simply be hypocrites. This place is good for you, Hanzo. Perhaps you will learn to forgive yourself as others have done.” Hanzo merely huffs. Genji really is a sentimental fool. There is no hope or redemption for the elder to find here. Only an end to the problem he himself created ten years ago. 

Sensing that he is getting nowhere in the conversation, Genji abruptly turns, bringing Hanzo with him. “Well, are you hungry, brother? We should eat something.” The man in question just stays quiet as Genji leads them to a large cafeteria. 

The place was obviously meant for when Overwatch was back in operation with thousands of agents. The room is large with at least a hundred tables each with at least 5 seats. Around the walls of the cafeteria are booths for smaller groups and towards the back is a balcony that overlooks the sea and several patio tables and chairs there. Opposite the balcony and windowed wall is a smaller room that juts out into the cafeteria’s space, shuttered sections with shelves outside lead Hanzo to believe that is where the kitchen and service line used to be. The door to lead inside is open, though there are no sounds coming from behind the doorway.

“In the past, Overwatch had cooks and stuff to help feed everyone. They were Overwatch agents too much like how armies have army chefs. But, since the recall, we haven’t heard from any of the previous cooks which makes us think we’re on our own. Winston has kept it stocked with a bit of food, but we still have to do the cooking. I think one day we’ll come up with a cooking schedule,” Genji explains as the two enter the kitchen. Hanzo hums. There is high grade kitchen equipment everywhere, but the two things that relief the archer is the rice cooker (which is rather large) and the tea kettle beside several coffee makers.

“I see… Well, in the meantime, I suppose we should cook something. Do you know if there is everything we need to make _zaru soba_?” Hanzo rifles through the cabinets as Genji scoffs behind him.

“Probably not. We might be able to make Western pasta, but the most that is here that resembles food from home would be the rice and cheap instant ramen packets.” Genji reaches and sets down several packets of ramen to prove his point. Hanzo stares at the pasta as if it had murdered someone and sighed.

“I see… Well, let’s see if I still know how to make a good _napoletana_.” Hanzo takes the spaghetti he saw from his earlier rummaging and begins cooking. Genji helps by taking a few ingredients out for him as well but then goes to sitting on a counter top and watching. It is very reminiscent of when Hanzo was first learning to cook after starting middle school that he relaxes as he cooks. He does not even mind the baseless conversation Genji tries to start and carries on his own. It is not until he is done and has two plates that he realizes something as they move to a table outside.

“Genji… Can you eat?” The cyborg pauses with his fork in the air and mouth open. He sighs and drops the fork.

“In a way, yes. I can still taste. I do still have my stomach and can eat, but I do not need to. If I were to never eat, the other systems in my body would be able to produce energy for me. I can never go hungry, so this means I never get cravings. Eating is just for fun.”

“I see…” Hanzo stares at his pasta.

“Hanzo, I have told you that I am already at peace with what I am. You don’t need to-”

“That is better than I thought,” the archer blurts out. The table is enveloped in silence before Genji speaks up.

“What?”

“If I am being honest, that is better than I thought. I thought I had completely ruined you. To hear that you can still eat and enjoy the foods you used to… It is good to hear.” He can see Genji’s eyes water with tears and is slightly surprised to see the cyborg capable of that as well. Hanzo just shakes his head. “Eat up. You’ll find my cooking skills have improved while we were apart.”

“Well, I’ll be. That looks down right sinfully delicious. Y’think there’s a bit more left for me to have there, partner? I’m famished.”

The appearance of the new voice startles both brothers as they look to see who is intruding on their meal time. Genji lightens up, but Hanzo remains skeptical. First a talking gorilla, now a cowman with a horse blanket around his shoulders? It is a wonder he didn’t hear the spurs on the boots jingle and Hanzo is instantly aware of the man’s skills to have gone undetected despite everything he wore.

“Jesse! You’ve made it. I did not think you would be arriving back at the watchpoint so soon.” Genji stands, the pasta Hanzo made forgotten. The man just smiles at the cyborg and adjusts the cigarillo in his mouth.

“Yeah well, it was either get here now or get here in pieces. I rather like being in one piece—well, as much in one piece as I can be,” Hanzo looks to the metal arm and understands the pause. “So I decided to mosey on over. But I really am hungry and Winston was sayin’ that we ain’t got no cooks anymore. I was scared I’d have to cook up some grub myself, but if there’s some of that there pasta left and you’re willing to part with it, I’d like to dig in with y’all here.”

Hanzo blinks. Was any part of what the cowboy said English? Genji takes in his brother’s shocked state for the second time today and laughs. “Yes, there is still some _napoletana_ left. I’m sure my brother will not mind if you have some. Compliment him, and he might let you eat anything he makes.” The two go back to the kitchen and then emerge a bit later with the cowboy holding a plate of his own. The three now sit at the table together, Hanzo shocked still, the cowboy already starting to eat despite the silence, and Genji observing his brother and relishing in his reactions.

The cowboy lets out a loud whistle once he’s swallowed the first mouthful of pasta. “Man! This pasta's like a cup o’water in the middle of the desert. You a chef or somethin’? If ya cook like this all the time, I might just have to compliment ya all the time to keep gettin’ fed this well.” Hanzo’s patience quickly empties. He blinks at the man before scoffing and folding his arms across his chest.

“I apologize, but who are you? You think you can just disrupt my time with Genji and start talking nonsense I can barely understand and get away with it? I am no fool, so I suggest you stop playing me for one.” The cowboy pauses his chewing and casts a glance at Genji who just shrugs but is chuckling all the while. Eventually, the man puts his fork down, wipes his hands with a napkin, and extends one to the archer. Hanzo stares at it a second before giving a brief shake in greeting.

“Sorry ‘bout that. I’dda thought your brother here would’ve told ya a thing or two ‘bout me, but I see he didn’t. Name’s McCree. Jesse McCree. I worked with your brother back in they day and we’re pretty close friends. At least, I thought we were, but now I’m not sure I wanna claim this little shit as my friend.” Jesse turns his words towards Genji who devolves into full out laughter at that point.

“Oh come on, Jesse! That was funny! You should’ve seen Hanzo’s face. I still thinks he doesn’t believe you though. I remember I had a hard time believing you were a real cowboy when we first met.”

“Y’all’re just mean if ya think ya can doubt me like that. Listen, partner, I’m an honest to god cowboy born an’ raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I ain’t just pullin’ your leg here. This is how I actually dress and talk all the time.”

“Is it supposed to inspire confidence in me that you talk like an uneducated cur all of the time? Because it does not,” Hanzo says harshly, turning his attention back to the pasta.

“Alright, I’ll give ya that one, ‘specially since I never really finished school. ‘Sides, strategy an’ stuff isn’t my specialty. I’m the guy that gets her done when needed and I’m one helluva shot. You’ll see when we get out on the field together.” Jesse removes the hat from his head and gently places it beside him. The two wordlessly eat their pasta while Genji watches incredulously.

“You won’t doubt that, brother? Even I had a hard time believing Jesse could be good out on the field.”

“No, I will not doubt that. The man obviously does have skills, even I can see that. I am simply refraining from speaking because I’m sure he knows that one day, skill will not be enough to save his life.” The cowboy sends the archer a quick glare and Hanzo bristles. Aha, I see. “Anyways, I believe I am done with eating for now and I am exhausted. I will see you later, Genji.” Hanzo stands and collects his plate. As an afterthought, he turns to the cowboy and gives a nod. “McCree.”

Just as Hanzo reaches the confines of the kitchen, he turns, sure that he was followed. Sure enough, moments later, the cowboy strolls in through the door. “I assume you have something more to say to me now that Genji is not here?”

The cowboy groans and runs a hand through his unruly brown hair, but surprisingly doesn’t get caught on any tangles like Hanzo thought it would. It must be softer and kept in much better shape than it looks. “Alright, I get it. Yer real smart and stuff, but trust me, that don’t mean shit here, an’ it’s not what I care about either.” Jesse closes the distance between them and looms over Hanzo. Not wanting to give him satisfaction, the archer holds his ground and stares impassively up into the brown eyes lit by a fire.

“I know what you’ve done. Genji wants ya here, and that’s great. I ain’t gonna tell him no cause he’s an adult and can make his own decisions. What I am gonna do though is keep an eye on ya. One wrong move and I guarantee ya ain’t gonna even know what kills ya my bullet is gonna be between your eyes so fast. For Genji’s sake, I’mma try to get along with ya. I promised him that much. I ain’t gonna try to like ya, I ain’t gonna trust ya, and I sure as hell ain’t gonna forgive ya if ya do anything else to hurt Genji. God knows he’s suffered enough and he don’t need you here to make it worse, so before ya even get a chance to make it worse, I’ll end it. Understand?”

Jesse glares down at Hanzo and the archer can see conviction and a plan behind the heat of the stare. For a moment, excitement grips his chest in knowing the man before him could very well grant the death he is destined for, but he pushes it down. It would only mock Genji and his attempts to right the wrong he has done. Instead he smiles and nods.

“Perhaps I was wrong about you, McCree. You are plenty smart, perhaps the first smart one I’ve met yet here. I hope you do keep your promise. The chance Genji has given me is wasted on a killer like me, but I do want to make it work. If it doesn’t, feel free to put an end to me.” At those words, Jesse backs up looking suddenly horrified.

“Ya ain’t getting off on this are ya? Cause that’s just sick if ya are an’-”

“No. I am not enjoying this. I am simply relieved that I have found someone good who stays beside Genji. Thank you for doing all I could not, and I hope you continue to do so.” Hanzo pushes past the cowboy to the door but pauses before leaving. “I will see you around then, McCree, but please, do not feel as if you must befriend me for Genji’s sake. Do not burden yourself with me, and I will stay out of sight for the most part. Goodbye.”

With those parting words, Hanzo leaves towards his room. Jesse rejoins Genji at the table and they resume eating and start to catch up on the time they spent apart. Hanzo glances to them once before leaving altogether, relieved to see Genji enjoying himself so. As he turns to leave, he swears he could hear the words “crazy fucker” but he does nothing. McCree’s presence is one Hanzo did not expect, but he suspects it is one he needed. Knowing the cowboy is skeptical of him and will not allow any further harm onto Genji brings a relief Hanzo has not felt in years. Joining Overwatch really was the right choice to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was the end of chapter 2!! Making some good progress here. In next week's chapter you can look forward to meeting some more new agents, learning what Overwatch plans to do for now and with such a small roster of agents, what talon is up to, what the 2nd omnic crisis is looking like, as well as planning to get out into field some time soon. So, hopefully, I should have another chapter for you guys in a week, so I'll see you then!!


	3. Getting Down to Business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo assess McCree and somewhat approves while Winston starts getting things going.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, this chapter is technically late and it's a pretty short one too. I have just been so tired this week that most of the free time I get goes towards sleep instead of writing;;; I'll make it up to you soon though, I promise!!
> 
> Also, I did change the title of this work. It's another song, but also a good one that kinda fits McHanzo in general by Acceptance. Check it out when you get a chance!

_ Ow, ow ow ow ow!  _

Hanzo sighs. Whoever designed the training robots had poor taste. The archer has never known an enemy to let out a pained cry as pathetic. Though it could prove useful in ridding the agents of their pity for their enemies, there is a limit being pushed.

The scion takes a deep breath as he waits for the robots to restart their paths from being fixed. It had surprised him the first time, seeing the robots pull themselves together from the pieces they had broken into, but now he is used to it and appreciates the small break it gives him in the down time. It allows him to collect his thoughts and formulate his next moves. In his fight with Genji in Hanamura, Hanzo had began to understand how impractical the scatter arrow was and is currently working hard to have something to replace it with. Though he cannot rely on the engineering of his arrows to do the hard work anymore, the archer found himself able to channel the dragons’ power in a more subtle way, leading to his new technique. For a lack of a better name, he allowed the dragons to name it storm arrow as the thundering sound of releasing so many arrows in such a short a time does indeed sound like a storm.

With the bots up and moving once more, Hanzo readies himself to channel the power within him. When he begins, his right arm moves at a lightning fast pace. Within seconds, six arrows are notched and released one after the other. Two training robots fell with a childish cry of pain. Hanzo frowns but is actually rather pleased with the results. When he first began this new technique, it threw off his aim considerably. His aim still suffers slightly as he is unable to hit the critical points of his enemies, but the damage, speed, and power behind each shot is now at least consistent. Just as he pulls out another arrow to try again, a voice stops him.

_ Agent Shimada, I suggest you take a break. I am under orders from Agent Dr. Ziegler to do so when any agent’s heartbeat approaches rates faster than what the doctor has suggested a healthy change from your baseline. You are currently approaching those rates. _

Hanzo rolls his eyes and loosens his grip on both bow and arrow. “I can assure you, I am fine. With the dragons dwelling inside me, harm from overwork will not befall me.” The archer readies himself to shoot again, but is once more stopped by the AI.

_Though that may be the case, there are still procedures I am to follow. Should you continue at your own risk, I am then to contact Agent Dr. Ziegler and have her come see you in the training room should your heart rate continue to increase._ The Shimada sighs. Being interrupted by the doctor would drastically slow his progress. Unfortunately, the AI does have a program to follow, one he is sure he can not override.

“What if he stops practicin’ and watches me while I do a bit of work, darlin’? That sound good?” Hanzo stiffens at the new voice. Though it has been a few days from their first meeting, he would still prefer to be in solitude, the cowboy the last person he wishes to see. McCree could better use his time indulging Genji in frivolous matters that he has been unable to do since their childhood.

_I suppose that could work, Agent McCree. After all, I do have biometric scanners in the room, so should Agent Shimada’s heart rate increase, I will be aware._ McCree then turns and gives the archer a smug smile.

“Well, the ball’s in your side o’ the court. What’s it gonna be? Continue practicin’ and push yourself too hard forcing Ang over here while she’s still getting the med bay still set up, or watchin’ me practice for a bit so you’re still in the action of things and can think about how we’ll work together out on the field?” The cowboy slides his thumbs into his belt loops and rocks from his heels to his toes and back while he waits for an answer. Hanzo sighs, feeling an irritation headache rising.

“I can assure you, we will not work out in the field together. We are of two different classes. I assume you are the type to rush in and be effective in closer ranges, while I am a sniper. If I am even seen, I am ineffective,” Hanzo explains. McCree simply shrugs off the information as if what was just said didn’t matter.

“Still don’t see what that’s gotta do with anythin’. After all, your job is to provide backup to us infantrymen, right? So you might as well get used to how I do my job so you can work how you do yours around it.” McCree adjusts the cigarillo in his mouth and all Hanzo wants to do is smack it out of his mouth. The cowboy isn’t wrong in what he said, but…

“Insolent. I may be able to provide you cover fire, yes, but I will not be changing anything. You should be the one to adjust your charges to ensure you are within my range.” Hanzo huffs at the typical American behavior. Leave it to the cowboy to think the world bends to their will.

“Alright, look. Before we're itchin’ to start shootin’ each other, let's just have you watch me for now an’ Winston can go over any team formation finaglin’. That sound like a plan?” A metal hand removes the cigarillo from the cowboy’s mouth and crushes it in one go. When the hand opens, the cigarillo falls slowly to the ground and there isn't the slightest mark on the hand. It is some impressive engineering, Hanzo notices.

Eventually, the archer sighs and puts his bow on his back. “Fine. I will watch. If this god forsaken AI calls the doctor here, I will be unable to practice regardless. But!” Hanzo points a finger to halt McCree’s movements. The offender simply shrugs, a bit of entertainment visible in his brown eyes. “You will wait for me to retrieve my arrows first. It would be a shame to waste them.” Though the American says nothing, he moves his hands towards the training bots as if to say “after you” in that Southern drawl that has begun to plague the archer’s nightmares.

It is not before long that Hanzo has all of his arrows gathered and McCree is telling Athena the settings for a training program. The archer simply ignores the talk and finds himself a perch on high ground to watch. If he were to be honest, Hanzo was quite curious to learn about the gunslinger’s skills. Knowing that the cowboy had been in Blackwatch with his brother was both a shock and completely unsurprising at the same time. Hanzo already knows that despite his appearance, the taller man is rather stealthy and can be quiet. McCree should be rather skilled in fighting as well considering the strike aspect of Overwatch’s covert strike team.

As McCree steps up to start shooting, a crease appears in his brows to show his focus. Hanzo hears the crack of the gun releasing a bullet, but the six shooter is held low and close to the man’s stomach. It is hard to track the movements of his gun hand there, the archer notes. However, not much else is impressive. McCree is shooting at a rather leisurely place and from one spot. That much is not hard, even with the good aim he sees. Anyone can have good aim standing still and shooting targets you know where they’re going. It has Hanzo paying closer attention though, wondering when the cowboy will show what he can truly do. The archer watches for a while before his curiosity finally gets the better of him.

“I am not the fool you play me for and neither are you. Do you make it a habit to hold back during your training or is there some other reason for it?” The words cause McCree’s jaw to clench, but he doesn’t look any angrier or uncomfortable than before. He just continues to lazily strike bullseyes at his targets.

“One thing I learned back in the day that’s saved my sorry hide more than once is to never show the enemy your full hand. Gotta have a few aces in your sleeve to come out on top after all.” The shooting never stops, and Hanzo is impressed with his accuracy and focus. The man is definitely clearly skilled.

“I see… So to you, I am an enemy.”

“Well, ya ain’t an enemy, but ya ain’t exactly an ally yet either. I’ll admit, I’m bein’ stubborn as a bull right now, but I’m sure it’ll all work itself out. Either ya prove that ya really are an ally, or…” McCree finally stops and turns to look at Hanzo, gun at his side. “I shoot ya down with one o’ my aces up my sleeve. As much as I’d love to shoot ya, I really hope it don’t come down to that.”

Hanzo’s lips turn upwards in a small smile. “I’m glad to hear that. Hopefully, things work out for the best of us. I appreciate your honesty.”

“You really get off on being told off, don’t ya?” McCree turns his attention back to the training bots. Hanzo can tell that each shot is just the slightest bit crisper now.

“No, that is not it. What I appreciate is the humanness you possess when approaching me. Much of the old members who know of what I did to Genji are being overly friendly which creates an awkward atmosphere, or they are simply passive aggressive and putting on false pretenses around me. You on the other hand… You are very honest which makes things easier.” McCree looks back at that, the two staring at each other for a while. Eventually, the gunslinger shivers and looks away.

“Don’t do that, be so honest and stuff. It’s weird. It gives me the heebie jeebies,” the cowboy shudders out, turning his back to Hanzo. The archer quirks a brow and hops down from his perch.

“It gives you what? Do you even speak English half the time? I have a harder time understanding you than anyone else.”

“What?” McCree spins around, his jaw tight once more. “Of course I speak English. This is just southern talk. An accent. Got it?”

Hanzo shrugs. “Not quite, but I am sure I will learn with time.”

_ Agent Shimada, Agent McCree, I am sorry to interrupt, but- _

“Please, you could hardly say I am exerting myself right now. I am so rested my sweat has chilled,” Hanzo bites out before Athena can finish. There is a slight pause before she speaks up once more.

_ No, it is true you have stopped your workout. I meant to tell you that Winston requests your presence in the meeting room. All agents are to show up ASAP. _

“Oh… My apologies…” Hanzo’s face flares in a bit of embarrassment as McCree huffs at him. He lights a cigarillo and nods his head towards the door.

“Well? Shall we get this show on the road?”

The two agents make their way from the training room to the administration building. Hanzo remembers seeing a few meeting rooms on his tour with Genji, but he doesn’t remember which his brother said are no longer in use. He hesitates and sizes McCree up as they walk. The gunslinger walks rather confidently, and though his posture isn’t the best, he still strikes up a rather intimidating figure—if Hanzo were the type to be intimidated at least. It is easy to see why the man is a trusted member of the organization by not only Genji but everyone it seems.

It is not long before the two men happen upon the correct meeting room—Hanzo’s hunch that the cowboy knew which room was correct. Winston stands at the front of the room, the other five agents currently on base already seated around the table. McCree takes a seat next to the large gentleman Hanzo met a couple days ago as Reinhardt, his squire Brigitte next to him. The archer wordlessly takes his seat one away from Genji, near enough to show he is there for his brother, but not close enough to get uncomfortable from the omnic feel the younger Shimada now gives off. Winston clears his throat, calling all attention to himself.

“Thank you for joining me here, agents. I cannot express just how happy I am that you all responded to my call for action… It’s good to be a family again.” The gorilla pauses to adjust his glasses, a sad smile on his face. Lena cheers loudly and is soon followed by a short clap from Angela and Reinhardt. Embarrassed, Winston clears his throat again. “Anyways, I’d also like to welcome our two new members to Overwatch. Brigitte Lindholm, Torbjorn’s daughter and Reinhardt’s helping hand.” A short round of applause is given as the girl graciously soaks up the attention. “And, Hanzo Shimada, Genji’s… uh… Genji’s brother…” A much less enthusiastic applause follows, and Hanzo curses the whole room. Silence is better than lies.

“Ahem, moving on. It’s time we got down to business. I’m not sure many more agents are going to respond to the recall…”

“What! That’s bollocks!” Lena cries, slamming her hands on the table and standing up. “Overwatch had tons of agents back in the day! You’re telling me none of them other than those of us here want to help the world again?!”

“Well… The Petras Act is still active… We’re defying the law just by being here again. I don’t blame anyone for not wanting to risk themselves just for-”

“Not wanting to risk themselves?! Winston, big guy, we risk our lives every mission, and you’re telling me you don’t blame them for not wanting to be tossed in the slammer? They’re cowards, the lot of them!” Lena huffs and slumps down in her seat.

“We don’t need ‘em.” The cowboy speaks up, his feet on the table and hat low over his face. He knocks the hat up so the room can see his eyes before folding his arms over his chest. “Just like in the ol’ days, if they ain’t willin’ to break the rules a ‘lil, nothin’ll get done.”

“Blackwatch was disbanded for a reason, McCree. I’d prefer not to repeat history and do the same things again,” the doctor says, a hint of disgust in her voice.

“If you’ll allow me to continue,” Winston butts in with a hint of an edge in his voice. The room quiets and all attention falls on the gorilla once more. “Anyways, as I was saying, I don’t think we’ll have a very expansive roster for missions. We’ll have to be smart and effective. We’ll use only small teams, no more than 6 people at a time so someone can always be here on base. Of course, we’re looking to recruit more people, but I wanted you all to know that as of right now, our members are those of us in this room. If that isn’t okay with any of you, then please speak up.”

The room is filled only with silence. Hanzo takes the time to size up his teammates. They all seem rather capable, so there should be no problem with the current plan. “Alright. Moving on then. The reason I’ve called you here. Of course, tensions between humans and omnics are rising again, and a second omnic crisis is on the horizon. There’s this to deal with, but I also think that Talon has a hand in all of this.”

“Talon? Are they moving again?” McCree asks.

“Yes. In fact, the night I initiated the recall, Talon was here trying to extract all of your information from Athena,” Winston explains.

_ Winston stopped them, but I fear they still might have been able to escape with some agents’ information. _

“Which leads me to this: Regardless of if they’re coming back or not, we need to get into contact with the old members. They need to know that Talon wants to know where they are. They might be in danger, so we need to help them.”

“And how do we go about that?” Angela asks.

“Well, I figured you, Reinhardt, and I start making some phone calls. The ones who aren’t as easy to reach, we should go see in person in teams of two.”

“And what will the rest of us be doing while you are making these calls?” Hanzo stiffens. Genji had been so quiet that he nearly forgot his brother was here until he spoke just now.

“Well… since I’ve been living here alone… I haven’t really used much of the base. I want you guys to go through everything, do some inventory, throw out some stuff we won’t use, close off buildings we don’t need, that kind of stuff. Torbjorn is coming. He called and said he was busy, but that he’d come when he got the chance. I haven’t really talked to him since, but I know that if he’s coming, he’ll be setting up some defenses along the base for us.”

“Papa has been really weird lately. Mom says not to worry, but I’m just sure my papa is cooking up something strange,” Brigitte grumbles.

“Well, whatever it is he’s doing, we need to to have the base ready for when he gets here, and I want you guys to help on that.”

“So no missions for now, big guy?” Lena asks. Winston hesitates before sighing.

“Well… no. Not now, but once we get some intel on something, we’ll move out.”

“Ya ain’t gotta explain yourself to us, Winston. We had all this borin’ stuff to do back in the ol’ days too. We get it,” McCree assured.

“Well… alright then. Genji, if you could do the barracks. Lena, I want you to do the armory to make sure we have everything we need for your chrono accelarator.”

“Winston, you worry too much,” Lena laughs.

“Brigitte, if you could do the medbay and labratories, I’m sure Angela would appreciate that. And Lastly, McCree, Hanzo, I want you two to go through all of Blackwatch.”

“That’s a mighty big area there, ya know.” McCree unfolds his arms, but doesn’t move otherwise.

“Yes, that’s why I have the two of you doing it. It should go faster that way.” Winston smiles hopefully at the cowboy who just nods and lets his feet off the table.

“Alright, yeah. We can do it.”

“Excellent! Thank you once again agents. Well… Let’s start doing our jobs and making the world a better place!”


	4. A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo realizes just what he's in for when it comes to being around Genji and reveals to everyone else just why he's so high strung

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!! Welcome to another chapter.  
> I guess I haven't really been updating weekly recently huh? Haha whoops, but don't you worry, I've still got a soft spot in my heart for this fic. It will reach it's end one day, I swear it. And I love all of you guys who have stuck with me so far and I'll love all of you who continue to stick with me~! I hope you enjoy this chapter!!

There is something to be said about the secrecy Blackwatch must have held at one point. The base McCree leads Hanzo to is down the hill from the cliff side the main base sits and the only door the archer can see when it becomes available is the one made from the rocks in the cliff that McCree opens for them. If McCree hadn't opened that door, it would just appear to be a wall of rocks the door was made so smoothly into the land around it.  The two are silent as they enter, Hanzo making note of every little thing that catches his eye. The walkway is lit only by floor lights, each turning on the further McCree walks. Eventually, an engine hums and the two are bathed in light as they enter what seems to be a lobby of sorts, the Blackwatch emblem embossed on the tile floor. A round desk sits in the center of the room just in front of the emblem and McCree leads them past it to a room on the right.

“I guess we should start with the barracks then hit the training room then the supply rooms. Lotsa stuff was abandoned here when Blackwatch got put on watch then shut down. All the agents had to move real quick to the Swiss headquarters, so… should be some stuff that’ll be useful down here.”

Hanzo nods in acknowledgment and begins to look around. McCree sifts through the various belongings left behind with reckless abandon, the owners obviously unaware of the rifling happening to what used to be theirs. The archer approaches everything with a bit more care, having respect for what these items used to mean to their respective owners. The pair come across rather meaningless items at first; hairbrushes, decorative trinkets, towels, accessories, and so on. Even with the baseless things they find, Hanzo can already guess the personalities of several agents. McCree raises his brow every so often or lets out a rare exclamation of “you you sly dog" or “didn't peg ya the type" and others along those lines but remains mostly silent during their search.

It isn't until they reach a certain part of the barracks that the gunslinger pipes up. “Alright, keep your eyes peeled here. There was a real sunnova bitch that was here that might have some useful stuff. She was a scientist o’ sorts not that I trusted her none.” There’s a sour expression on the other man’s face as he talks about this woman. Hanzo briefly wonders who it could be before ultimately deciding it doesn’t matter.

“Something she and I have in common it seems,” the quip leaves the archer before he can stop it, but he does enjoy seeing the sour look that crosses his companion. At first, all Hanzo can see is just more of the same personal affects, but within a jewelry box, he finds a small hidden compartment carrying papers. He pulls them out and glances over the contents. Even with how smart the scion may be from all of his strict schooling under his father, his advanced science skills are nowhere near the level of the equations on the paper. “I think… I may have found something…” It is obviously medical whatever is on the paper, but perhaps Dr. Zeigler would understand better than him.

A whistle pops over his ear. “Man, that looks like a buncha something… Angie might know what to do with this… or Winston.” McCree tips his hat, his eyes wide at the paper. “Good find.”

“Is that a compliment I hear?” Hanzo smirks at his companion as he hands over the papers. The gunslinger narrows his eyes and tongues his cheeks as he puts the papers in a pocket.

“Ha ha…” They turn their separate ways again, but the archer is still able to hear the “I don’t even know why I bother” the other man mutters. They continue looking around, finding more useful things this scientist had such as beakers, needles, some various medical tools, and a bit more papers as well. Once they catalogue the items with Athena via McCree’s communications device—Hanzo having yet to receive his—they continue on to the barracks.

“Oh boy…” McCree sighs and starts to look down. Hanzo blinks and curses the fact that he did not bring his bow.

“What is it? Is there trouble?” His amber eyes start to sweep the room, but everything he sees seems innocent enough. The other man just sighs again and shakes his head.

“Nah, ain’t nothin’ like that. It’s just… This is my stuff now… Oh hey! I thought I lost this!” Hanzo stares at the bright, warm smile the brunette gives as he picks up a silver flask from underneath a bed. There isn’t much detail Hanzo can see from where he is standing, but there does seem to be some intricate designs forged into the flask. The gentle way the man holds it suggests that it is a rather important item to him. Hanzo continues on, not wanting to be between McCree and his belongings. Even as he ventures away he can still hear the joyful chuckles and the shameful groans as he sifts through his items.

Something crinkles beneath the archer’s foot, causing him to give pause. Hanzo looks down at the paper under his foot and picks it up. In his hands sits a small red origami crane, the expertise with which it was folded brings him a bit of nostalgia. He remembers learning to do origami underneath the kotatsu with Genji during New Year’s when they were both still in primary school. As his father had groomed him for it, Hanzo had the patience and quick learning skills necessary to pick up on the art rather quickly. Of course, his works still looked awkward as they were made by a child, but compared to Genji who quickly lost patience and wanted to watch the Kohaku on television, they were much above what his younger brother could provide. While he continued folding various animals, Genji ate nearly all of the kagami-mochi and cheered for the white team on the Kohaku (which was much to his disappointment when the red team won).

A small smile tugs on his lips as he gently sets the red crane down on the nearest bed only to fall as he realizes whose space he is in. The Shimada crest rests above the head of the bed, staring him down. A long sword, obviously supplied by Blackwatch and not Genji’s choice weapon, sits by the wall. Pictures litter the wall space to the left of the bed and though Hanzo knows he shouldn’t to spare him even more guilt, he inches closer to them. The first he sees is of his brother on the operating table. Bile rises in his throat at the sight. Genji lies on the table, an oxygen tube inserted directly into his throat to keep him alive. Bandages cover his body from the top of his head to the little stubs below his torso that are all that remain of his legs. Hanzo notices that his green hair is gone, shaved off to help the doctors see the extent of the damage done to him. His one remaining arms droops over the side of the table, the other yet to be fitted with a prosthetic. Dr. Zeigler is recognizable among the many medical staff found in the picture, her gloved hands stained with blood and a tired expression on her face. A shaky hand reaches out to touch the picture, but stops as he sees the next.

Genji sits next to McCree in what appears to be a cafeteria, struggling to hold his fork in a rough prosthetic that is nowhere near the level of his current one. His tongue is poking out over his rebuilt bottom lip in concentration as the gunslinger pats him on the back in encouragement. His hair is short and fluffy, reminding Hanzo of when he was just a baby and first starting to grow out his hair. McCree looks much the same as he does now except his hair both on top of his head and on his face is much better kept.

The next picture Hanzo looks at is of Genji keeping a death grip on two bars leveled with his hips. His face is nearly red with the effort he is exerting to keep himself upright as he tries to learn to use his new prosthetic legs. These legs are also rough around the edges which leads the archer to wonder when he came to have the body he does currently. Dr. Ziegler stands in the background with her hair pulled up, glasses on her nose, and her eyes focused on a tablet in her hands. Genji's hair is a bit longer suggesting some time has passed between this picture and the last.

Hanzo’s eyes finally land on what seems to be the last picture. Genji, McCree, and two other men the archer has yet to meet but can only assume were also Blackwatch agents stand together. Three of the men are smiling, but his brother glares at the camera, his one prosthetic and one flesh arm crossed over his chest outfitted in a layer of metal that he assumes is protecting the delicate work the doctor’s did to his internal organs. Though the prosthetics he can see are different than Genji’s current body, they are definitely more functional than the first ones in the previous pictures. There are parts of the prosthetics that even look like muscles with various groups of cords running where flesh muscles would be. A large red circle is visible on his chest, and Hanzo can only wonder what it might hold. Thinking to their conversation on eating, the archer guesses the armor on his torso houses various rebuilt organs.

Just above the pictures, the archer can see thousands of the kanji character 正, noting that his brother was keeping count of something in 5s. The characters start incredibly messy even by Genji’s standards then gradually become more and more clear and spaced out before they end altogether. Hanzo's shaky hands finally come in contact with the cold wall. The cool temperature shocks him back into the moment. He can feel the tears bristling at the corners of his eyes and holds them back.

“We all asked him why he was crazy enough to keep pictures like that nearby.” McCree’s voice startles the archer and he suddenly remembers that he is not alone. He doesn’t turn to face the man but does let his arms fall to his sides. “He said that he wanted to keep track of his progress. When it all became a bit too hard for him, he wanted somethin’ to give him motivation to keep goin’.” The sound of the spurs gradually grows closer to him and Hanzo steels himself for the next words coming. Except McCree never speaks. The scion turns and finds the other man frowning at the pictures, eyes not even seeing Hanzo there. “He was always real angry at first, and for good reason too. Fella hardly had any friends ‘round here. He just wanted to kill. Made a good agent for that reason. Everyone respected him, but no one wanted to be near him. Took him ‘bout a year to learn to walk again, ‘nother 8 months or so to get back to a level to be ready to be put on missions. ‘Fore two years after everythin’ happened, he was already able to go on missions with me at my level.”

Hanzo turns his eyes to Genji’s bed. “There is much I missed in our ten years apart…” Guilt colores his voice as it comes out, but it isn’t enough. Nothing will ever be enough to suffer in the ways Genji had.

“That ya did. Yer still missin’ out on a lot now. I see how you dip ‘n tuck your way out of a room Genji’s in. I see how you avoid him when you can. You could learn so much more about him if you just talked with him, but you don’t.” There’s an accusatory tone in the gunslinger’s voice Hanzo does not like. His pride immediately makes him defensive, a stubborn tick in his jaw set.

“I do not  _ avoid  _ him. It is just…  _ hard _ . I thought he was  _ dead  _ until last month. I am still coming to terms with the fact that he is alive, regardless of the fact that I thought I was the one to kill him.” Hanzo takes a step towards McCree and can see the other backing down. “Imagine that someone you cared for deeply dies then comes back years later only to reveal that they didn’t really die, they just spent years away from you regardless of how deserved that time away was. How would you react, McCree?”

McCree’s mouth flaps open and closed a couple times before he lets out a huff. He adjusts the hat on his head and eventually places his hands on his hips. “Well… I guess I don’t rightly know…”

“Precisely. Don’t expect me to ‘rightly know’ right now or anytime soon. I just need… time. I just need some time to let things settle…” Hanzo’s energy leaves him with that last word. His shoulders sag and his eyes settle on the ground instead of McCree. The man awkwardly shuffles before him and he half expects to hear an apology. Instead, he turns to leave and Hanzo follows behind him. They are here on a mission, he reminds himself. He has no time to be lost in the past nor any time to spare arguing with the other. The faster they catalogue everything in the building, the faster he can be alone with his thoughts.

In the past, Hanzo was accustomed to being around people. He was accustomed to wearing a mask in public and interacting with many people everyday from when he woke until he slept. Once he cut down his brother and left the clan however, those habits changed. Though he does not consider himself an introvert by any means, he is definitely not an extrovert any longer. Conversing with people drains him of energy, and conversing with McCree all day about rather serious topics is not on the top of his todo list. When they finish with their work, it is with eagerness that both men make their way back up to the Overwatch base to report their findings to Winston.

Angela and Reinhardt sit on opposite sides of the table, focusing on their communication devices. By the looks on their face, Angela is having a tough time but concealing it all under professionalism and courtesy while the German is sad but having a much easier time than his counterpart. Winston looks up to see the two enter and hurriedly finishes his call. McCree moves to stand next to the gorilla so as to not bother the other two who are still talking. Hanzo hangs towards the room's door to leave just that much faster.

“McCree, Hanzo, thank you. I take it everything went well?” Winston's voice is tired and Hanzo starts to feel bad for him. It is obvious to him just as to anyone else that Winston cares deeply for Overwatch and its personnel, so the archer figures that it must be hard for him to hear rejection from so many people he views as family.

“We catalogued a bunch of stuff with Athena for you two to look through and sort out what we might need. I figured the muscle could come later once that's all sorted through. We did however find somethin’ you and Ange might wanna look through.” McCree pulls the notes from his pocket and hands it over to Winston. The gorilla adjusts his glasses and looks over the paper. “Found ‘em in Moira’s stuff. We can't really figure it out so we thought you or Ange might be able to understand what's there.”

“This is incredible…” Winston is rapidly taking in everything written on the paper with great interest. It almost makes Hanzo wish he could understand what it is as well. Finally, the leader looks up and smiles at McCree. “Thanks, McCree. You and Hanzo can go. Everyone's on stand-by for now until we get through all these calls and find out who we have to get.”

The cowboy tips his hat and turns to leave, but by the time he can take a step forward, Hanzo is already out the door. The archer moves quickly through the halls like he has a purpose. It's really more that he just doesn't want to get stopped by anyone. He makes a quick stop by his room for his bow and his gourd, securing both onto his person before leaving once more. Among the few days he has spent here at the watchpoint, Hanzo has scouted out a few places that he likes to claim for his own. He makes his way towards one, finding a cliff by the ocean side and turning back to the watchpoint. There is a ledge a few meters above the watchpoint that hangs out over the ocean and is shaded by a tower at this time of day. If you were to stand on the ground and look up at it, you would be unable to see anything on it which makes it one of Hanzo’s favorite places to go. The archer puts a hand and foot on the rock wall and begins to climb to his perch.

Some rocks are slippery due to the waves crashing against them and splashing some water up high, but with his hard metal legs, it is no problem for hanzo to claw into them for leverage. The climb takes hardly any time at all, and once he reaches his perch, the archer settles onto the ground with his legs folded against each other. He opens the gourd and appreciates the sweet smell of the sake inside before indulging in a few large gulps.

Hanzo does not want to become too inebriated this early in the day so he sets the gourd aside after his initial drinks, wanting to slow down his pace. The gentle sound of the waves below him do much to help calm him. With the days that Hanzo has been at the watchpoint, this is truly his first time alone. He hopes it will help allow him to come to terms with his situation.

_ Genji is alive. _

Though the thought does bring him relief, it is still a fact that he must remind himself of occasionally. Genji is alive but what can he do to make up for the ten years they lost? And the many years before the duties of the family put a strain on their relationship? When was the last time the two had acted like real brothers? For some reason, high school comes to mind, around the time Genji learned what the family business entailed as he started training due to Hanzo studying for college entrance exams. If that truly is the last time, then there is much in their relationship to remedy.

* * *

 

“Dragon of the north wind heading south.” 

Hanzo looked up from his textbooks to his bedroom door. What was Genji doing here at that hour? He should have been in the middle of lessons as asked of him by their father. Nonetheless, the elder smiled at their childhood code and settled back in his chair. He could always use a break every now and then he supposed.

“Dragon of the south wind meeting north.” With their code complete, Genji opened the door and trotted confidently to the bed before sitting on it. He picked up the pachimari plush they had won at the arcade at one point and tosses it up in the air. “Have you finished with your lessons for the day?”

“Of course not. I don’t care about that stuff, you know that. You can take the family business, I want no part of it,” the Sparrow rattled off as he continues playing with the toy. Hanzo frowned, a multitude of emotions bubbling in his chest. He’s proud that his brother knows what he wants in life, has had the opportunity to find out what he wants in life, but he also worries that this flippant attitude will someday hurt Genji in the end.

“You should at least try for now. Father’s attention is on you right now, and it wouldn’t hurt to learn. Not only would you understand more about the family, but because you are still a Shimada, it’d be good to at least learn to protect yourself.” Hanzo turned back to his textbook, but kept his attention on his brother.

“Come on, _anija_ , that’s bullshit and you know it.”

“Language, Genji.”

“Yes, Mom,” Genji rolled his eyes and flopped back onto the bed. He let out a huff and grabbed his head. “I’m just saying, learning to protect myself is fine, but that doesn’t mean I have to be the world’s best assassin. I’m a middle school boy! I should be hanging out with friends, goofing off, and playing video games or whatever, not learning multiple languages, dealing with yakuza leaders, and learning how to best kill someone and get away with it.” Hanzo turned with a sorrowful expression.

“I don’t know how you deal with it, _anija_. I just want to… run away sometimes…”

A long silence enveloped the two brothers. Genji sulked while Hanzo battled with himself. The responsible thing to do—what his father would most likely ask of him—would be to soothe Genji’s worries and push him to continue his training. What the elder wanted to do though was to allow his brother some time to have fun and be that normal boy he wanted to be. The heir inside him urged to push Genji back to his lessons before they both get in trouble. The older brother inside him just wanted to see the boy smile again. They were both Shimada heirs and therefore both of them had to take the family business seriously. But… Genji has already made his intent to have nothing to do with the family business clear not only to him and their father, but to the elders and most everyone in Shimada castle… Perhaps one night of normalcy wouldn’t hurt.

Hanzo sighed and stood from his seat. Genji turned to watch curiously but didn’t say anything. The elder opened his closet and turned back to his brother. “I was saving this for your birthday, but I suppose having an early present never hurt.”

“ _Anija_ , my birthday isn’t for another month.” Genji sat up regardless, excited at the prospect of a present.

“Then you’re lucky you have a good older brother who likes to be prepared.” Hanzo offered a warm smile and brought the unwrapped box down from the high shelf on his closet. Genji gasped loudly as he jumped to his feet on the bed. He bounced excitedly as Hanzo neared with the box. “Happy early birthday, Sparrow.”

“Oh my god! It’s the new X-station 2! How did you-”

“I have a bit of money saved up. It’s not that impressive for a high schooler but… It was good enough for this. Shall we play something?” Hanzo handed the box over to Genji who looked about ready to cry.

“Duh! I hope you weren’t planning on going to bed any time soon, _anija_ , because you’re playing with me!” Genji set the box down on the bed gently and enveloped Hanzo in a crushing hug. The elder smiled and returned the embrace, feeling his brother shaking, from what he did not know. “Thank you, Hanzo…”

 

Hanzo smiles at the memory, glad to have something pleasant to think about. Genji had been so happy and excited that night that they didn’t go to sleep until around 5 in the morning. Genji missed school the next day of course, and Hanzo slacked off in archery practice as a result from the lack of sleep. Sojiro was not happy and when Hanzo took the blame, the punishment he received was one of the crulest ever. Genji had witnessed it and that had put an end to their gaming nights together. Instead, the sparrow would sneak out to the arcade. Hanzo said and did nothing, glad to not have to endure another punishment. Thinking back on it, he realizes that perhaps he should have done something as that is the last good memory he can think of pertaining to their relationship.

Hanzo stills as he hears someone approach. Hopefully they do not find him on this perch as he does wish to remain alone. The footsteps are deliberate and his hopes are dashed. They know he is here and they want him to know they are there as well. Luckily enough, he never has to look to see who has found him as the answer soon presents itself.

“Dragon of the north wind heading south.”

Hanzo sighs. Of course it’s Genji. Only someone who could climb as well as him could know about this spot. He has half a mind to ignore him, another greater part wanting to shoo him away, but perhaps it is because he is feeling nostalgic that he does neither.

“Dragon of the south wind meeting north.” In hardly any time at all, Genji climbs up to the ledge and settles down beside Hanzo. The mask is on today for some reason, but the archer doesn’t ask. Instead, he waits in silence for Genji to say something. Luckily, he does not have to wait long.

“This was also one of my favorite spots to hide back in the day. There was an exit to Blackwatch that let out not too far from here, so when everything became too much, the world, my anger, the stress… I would just come out here to escape it all for just a little while.” Genji’s voice is low and calm as Hanzo drinks it in. There must be a purpose behind this visit after all. He will listen to the ramblings until he sees the point. “How is your transition to life on the base going?”

“It is going…” Hanzo offers, keeping his gaze on the waves crashing against the rocks below them.

“You know what I mean, brother… Are you at least enjoying yourself?”

“I have lived the past ten years of my life in near complete solitude and now I find myself surrounded by people. I need some time to adjust. I had hoped to come here to find some time to myself for once, but…” Hanzo trailed off. Genji nodded with understanding regardless.

“I see… Sorry to bother you, but we need to talk.” Hanzo raises a brow at this.

“Can it not wait?”

“No. Winston will start to send us out on missions soon, and though we are all capable, sometimes agents don’t make it back… I want us to talk before that possibility arises.” The archer sighs knowing it is a sound argument. It would be better to just go along with this awkward charade than to avoid it.

“Alright, what do you wish to talk about?”

“About us. About our relationship. About your life on the watchpoint.” Genji finally turns to look at Hanzo. The scion just motions for the cyborg to continue so he does. “There is much healing that needs to be done, both for you and for our relationship.”

“You think I need healing?” Hanzo blinks.

“I wasn’t finished yet.” Genji says simply and waits. Hanzo huffs and closes his mouth. How odd this is, feeling like the younger brother in the situation. “I know this will all come in time, and I am fine waiting. I just want to know if you are willing to work towards it. You believe yourself beyond redemption and healing. If you truly do not try, you will never find it. So please, promise me Hanzo that you will at least try.”

Hanzo bites his cheek. What should he say? If he were honest, he wants to mend their relationship. But he also knows that despite what Genji says, what he did is beyond redemption or forgiveness. The elder brother in him wants to fix their relationship and be with his younger brother like they once were in the past. The traditionalist in him however demands justice for his sins and wants to deny the offer he is given. Regardless, his life is already forfeit. It is for Genji to do with as he sees fit, and if this is what the other wants, Hanzo has no choice but to give it.

“Okay, I will try. I will just need time. There is much about you I no longer know.”

“The same goes for me, brother. But, I believe we can learn and grow together. Time cannot be reversed, but we can make the best of what time we have left.”


	5. Hanzo Done Fucked Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's mission time. Hanzo is paired with McCree who makes it obvious he doesn't wanna work with Hanzo. Will their mission be a success despite McCree's stubbornness or will something happen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the wait, but let me tell you it won't be for nothing! Things are finally gonna start picking up in this chapter. Not necessarily their relationship, but you'll see what I mean. It should get faster and faster paced from here on out. I hope you guys like it!
> 
> Chapter content warnings: canon typical violence, description of death and injury (not necessarily gore)
> 
> Also, there's Japanese used at the end of this. It's suuuuuuuuuuuuper close to the end, so I'm gonna put the translation in the chapter notes at the end.

_ First comes patience. _

Though it has been increasingly rare as of late, Hanzo is able to center himself once more. He sits in the seiza position on the same ledge Genji had found him on before. The ocean waves crashing against the rocks beneath him are just as grounding as it was the last time. The summer heat is here, but thanks to being located at the seaside, the air is cool and the breeze carrying salt does much to prevent the temperature from rising too high. Despite knowing that he can be found, everyone gives him the space he deserves, so he can relax and meditate here. The archer always finds himself in a more agreeable mood afterwards, so he makes it a habit to return when he can.

_ Next comes understanding. _

Hanzo realizes this is something he is lacking. There is very little he understands. Not of the cyborg that his brother has become. Not of what it means to be an Overwatch agent. Not even of what he himself wants to get out of anything. As per the teachings of his father, this is the second step. Perhaps this is why he struggles so much. There is no understanding to be found.

“If only it were so simple as a _kendama_ ,” Hanzo grumbles.

Despite meditating supposed to calm oneself, Hanzo needs to use this time to reach some sort of understanding. It cannot happen all at once, no, but a small step in the right direction would help wonders. He debates which issue would be a good starting point. Should he begin with his standing in Overwatch? The idea is immediately dismissed. That requires some semblance of knowing what he hopes to achieve in his time here. Perhaps that would be a good place to start? Hanzo inwardly rolls his eyes as he realizes that too is dependent on something else. Genji. What does he want? He claims to have given Hanzo his forgiveness, but the archer can still feel the cold steel that was close to slicing his neck and ending it all months ago.

Then again, that is not the only time Genji has spared his life.

Though he chides himself on listening to those foolish elders years ago, he does at least understand that deep down, they did and still do have a point. His mother had taught him that all Hanzo has in this world is Genji and vice versa, but at some point in their lives, this stopped being true. As they grew older and Genji grew more rebellious, his world grew beyond that of the castle walls. Genji has much more in his world, both then and now. Ten years ago, Genji had the nightlife. He had friends he had made, not for business purposes that needed to be watched to ensure they wouldn’t turn loyalties elsewhere or attempt to hurt him, but genuine friendships. He even had Overwatch as he does now. The pictures still burn brightly in his mind. The doctor, Angela, obviously cares for Genji. She worked tirelessly on his recovery and still regards him highly after their years apart due to the Petras Act. 

Hanzo frowns. Even McCree is there for Genji, something Hanzo admires and now realizes he wishes he had himself. The way the cowboy spoke about Genji when he was recovering made it sound as though he didn’t have much friends aside from McCree and Angela, perhaps understandably so. There is relief in knowing that McCree did so much for his brother, but also a pain he cannot describe. Guilt? Jealousy? Hanzo shakes his head. There is no need to focus on such an unimportant issue. Though McCree is obviously close to Genji, he need not be involved in a matter that is between the Shimada brothers alone.

No matter how much the man inserts himself into the problem.

_ Agent Shimada? _

Hanzo turns his head to the comms device for Athena to continue before he realizes that she cannot see it. “Yes, Athena?”

_ Winston has requested your presence in the meeting room. Should I let him know you are on the way? _

“Yes, please do so.” The scion wonders if he is going to become a gopher once more as he stands from his position and allows the blood to begin to flow again. Over the last week, he and the other agents have been moving various items from place to place to get the watchpoint ready. Apparently, this Torbjorn will returning soon, so Winston has been moving rather quickly to get all of the supplies ready.

Hanzo makes his way towards the meeting room, the halls quiet. With so few members currently on the watchpoint, it makes sense. Angela is usually in the medical bay, straightening up her tools there and organizing all of the data she has received from everyone’s physicals and baselines. The archer wonders where the loud German spends most of his time, but since he is never near to hear Reinhardt’s booming voice, he finds that he really does not care to learn. Genji is simple to figure out as he spends most of his time meditating, helping Winston out, or training. Brigitte spends her time either with Angela in the medical bay or with Reinhardt, he assumes. McCree though…

He wonders what it is that McCree does. The man never seems to follow a schedule and is hardly ever seen doing the same thing twice unless it is training, but even that is not done regularly but randomly. The man is an enigma in every sense of the word, one that only adds on to Hanzo’s troubles. If only the archer could live his life without the gunslinger around, his life would be much simpler.  And it is with some irony that when he arrives at the meeting room, he finds McCree already there, talking to their commander. Hanzo loses his control and actually lets out a groan seeing as he is currently alone in the halls. Despite his best efforts to not be around the cowboy, he is seemingly everywhere. Every task he does with Overwatch is with McCree, and it is growing increasingly frustrating.

“Ah, Hanzo, glad you could make it.” Winston looks up and smiles at him as he enters the room. McCree doesn’t even bother to acknowledge him, keeping his back turned so he faces the gorilla. Hanzo just nods and joins the two at the end of the table, keeping the table’s end between him and the cowboy.

“Alright, so it’s time we started giving out missions. Angela, Reinhardt, and I have made some good progress in contacting old agents, so we’re going to be sending you all out. We’re starting with you two.” Winston pauses and looks to the wall behind him as an image appears on the screen. Hanzo hears an intake of breath beside him then focuses his attention on Winston once more.

“You two will be going to bring back Agent Ray. Just to be safe, we wanted to send agents out two at a time, so that’s why the both of you will be going. Since it’s Ray, he should have a plane or airship or something to bring the three of you back.” Hanzo folds his arms over his chest. The man on the screen before him has pale skin, light brown hair and green eyes. A few scars are visible on his face, but nothing debilitating like Hanzo has found on most agents so far.

“Who is this Agent Ray?” he asks. Winston turns to him and blinks. The gorilla then gives an awkward laugh and smiles.

“Oh, sorry, that’s right. You haven’t met Ray yet. Much like Lena, he flies our Orca ships. When Angela called him and told him everything that’s happening, he agreed to come back if it was only to fly us around everywhere. I agreed because it would be helpful to have another pilot. This way Lena can get some breaks and we can move to more places at once,” he explained. McCree nods next him and flicks his hat upwards.

“So, Ray’s comin’ back, huh? Where’re we gonna go t’ meet ‘em?” Hanzo glances over to find McCree still pointedly not looking his direction. With a roll of his eyes, the archer looks back to Winston as he changes the image on the screen behind him.

“Well, currently he’s in Amsterdam and has picked out a nice spot for you to rendevouz with him. I’ve been thinking about how I wanted to get you there. Lena and I are going to Numbani to check out a lead we got on Doomfist’s gauntlet—since he just broke out of jail—so you can’t fly there. I wouldn’t want you using the airports either because McCree is too noticeable. If you took a car, it’d take you 24 hours to drive, and the car would be stuck there when Ray flew you back anyways. So…”

“So we’re goin’ by train, huh? Don’t worry, I’ll behave,” the cowboy smirks like he’s done something to be proud of. Hanzo makes a note to look into the connection there later.

“Glad to hear it. It’ll take about 11 hours for the train to get you there, so we got you a sleeper car. You’ll be leaving tonight, so this gives you plenty of time to gather everything you might need and get a game plan together.” Winston turns off the screen and faces the two men. McCree nods and gives a two fingered salute.

“Right-o. Anything specific ya need us t’ do?” Winston sighs and removes his glasses to rub at his eyes. He puts the too-small frames back on his face and frowns, looking directly at the cowboy.

“Yes, I should mention… Ray told us that he had been seeing signs of Talon movement in the area. We need you two to be very discreet to avoid attracting any unwanted attention. We don’t really want anything to escalate between us and Talon right now while we’re still getting our bearings. I figured that with your backgrounds, you two would be the perfect team for this… Please… Don’t disappoint me.”

* * *

And this is how Hanzo finds himself, hours later, staring out a small window at the Spanish countryside at twilight. Thankfully due to the long days of summer, there is still some sunlight to be found at the late hour of 8 o’clock that it is. The train will arrive at around 7:30 in the morning, their meeting with Ray an hour and a half later. Hanzo has his bow and arrows stowed in a cello case held in the back of the car with the other passengers’ luggage. McCree’s belongings are in a ratty old duffel bag with holes around the whole thing and stray strings fraying every which way. Hanzo will grant him one thing, that is highly inconspicuous.

The cowboy sits silently beside him, a toothpick in his mouth since this is a non-smoking train. McCree had been pretty upset to learn about that. Hanzo pulls out his comms device and opens up a google map of Amsterdam. He studies the streets, the stores, and potential hiding places or bases for Talon.

“Since we have plenty of time on this train,” Hanzo begins slowly. McCree looks out the window, determined to ignore him. “Do you want to come up with some sort of plan just in case we do run into Talon operatives?” The cowboy looks at him before rolling his eyes and shifting his body more to face the window. Hanzo feels irritation building within him, but he will not be the reason this mission goes wrong. His pride won’t allow it. “Are you trying to imply that we won’t run into Talon interference? Despite the fact that this Agent Ray has seen them in the vicinity and with the intel we have that Talon is targeting Overwatch agents?” McCree stays silent. “Humph. You really are a fool.”

“For not wanting to trust you? I’d be an even bigger one to do somethin’ like that,” the man grumbles. Hanzo’s irritation fades a little. McCree did have a point there, and the archer respected him for that. But, this wasn’t a simple task of moving things around the base or training together. This is a mission. They could possibly face Talon and fight for their lives or that of others. Hanzo does not like to face failure.

“Be that as it may, if we run into Talon without a plan, both of us are as good as dead. I wouldn’t even have to lift a finger. Talon would kill you before me if I wanted to.” Hanzo put down his comms, getting rid of the map so that he could stare at McCree. Unfortunately for the cowboy, the archer had a point as well and he knew it. Being the patient man that he is, he just has to wait until McCree can see that. Hanzo can see the other stirring in his seat as he takes it in. Trepidation shows through his brows while his stubbornness is painfully clear in his brown eyes. A bit of anger tugs his lips into a snarlish frown and Hanzo knows at that point that he’s won.

A stewardess pushing a service cart reaches their row and leans over to Hanzo. “Would you like something to drink, sir?” The archer peruses the small cart and finding hardly anything to his liking, he resigns himself. Finding good Japanese drinks in Europe will prove to be difficult.

“I’ll just take a hot tea,” he sighs.

“Of course,” she smiles. As she starts pulling out a cup to pour the tea, McCree finally moves.

“I’ll take a double shot of whiskey on the rocks.” Hanzo is shocked to even hear the man’s voice, but the stewardess only nods and continues pouring Hanzo’s tea.

“Here’s your tea, sir. One moment please for the whiskey.” McCree just tips his hat at her earning a short chuckle from the woman. She pours the glass of whiskey over two large ice cubes and hands the drink to the cowboy. “Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you.”

Hanzo eyes his partner as the woman moves on down the train. McCree has already finished half of his drink and smiles by the time the stewardess moves onto the next car. “Are you sure you should be drinking right now? We’re on a mission.” That earns the archer a sharp glare. McCree just wordlessly finishes his whiskey and slumps into his seat.

“Oh yeah, without it I won’t be able to stand this ride,” he sighs. McCree pulls out his comms and pulls out a much more detailed map than that of Hanzo’s googled result. “Winston sent me this just after we left for the train station. The spot Ray wants to meet us is right here.” The man points to a small park in the midst of the city. The layout of the park creates a rectangle opening in the streets, various stores lining the park. It seems like a popular tourist place, so it would be rather inconspicuous for an obvious American and an Asian man like himself to be there randomly. “I was thinkin’ with you bein’ an archer an’ all, you could go right when the train gets there, case the place out, find high ground to snipe from or whatever, and just lay low. I’ll go an’ meet Ray at 9 since we both know each other, and then you give us backup ‘till we’re out the city. That sound good to you?”

Hanzo blinks. McCree already had a plan in mind and the exact meeting location before he even tried to come up with something. A spark of competition rises in him, wanting to find some flaw with the plan, but he just can’t. The plan is pretty good and Hanzo doubts he could think of something better. Swallowing his competitive thoughts and anger, he just nods.

“That sounds… feasible.”

“Good, now we got around 10 hours left on this train an’ I don’t wanna spend it talkin’ to you. Don’t bother me unless it’s an emergency.” McCree turns his body to face the window. Hanzo understands that as a sign that all conversation is over. He sighs and sips at his tea. At least tea is still calming, even if it is not matcha.

For a few hours, Hanzo occupies himself with reading. There’s magazines on the train and newspapers on his comms device that he peruses. Due to his isolated travels, reading the newspapers is rather informative as he learns much about the rest of the world. Eventually however, reading starts to bore him. It is late into the night though and they do have a sleeper car. McCree seems to already be asleep in his chair, but Hanzo elects to give both of them a bit more space. He stands and moves to the room they reserved and use the beds there.

The mattress itself was rather soft, but due to its thinness the hard metal underneath can be felt when lying on top. Hanzo sighs as he lies down. It isn’t the most uncomfortable sleeping arrangement he’s had. Being on the run from assassins while trying to work as an assassin yourself has that effect. He is just glad that he does not have to be too aware for the night. The nights he has reasonable cause to think there would be an attempt on his life are the worst. His rest is fitful and never really comes.

* * *

“Can I have a cup of dark brew coffee please?” Hanzo sighs tiredly as he looks at the cafe attendant. It was a rather long wait in line though the archer was sure he missed the morning rush hour traffic.

“Sure, coming right up. You’re not from around here are you?” the man asks, a sly smile on his face. Hanzo chuckles and shakes his head.

“No, I’m a painter here for a conference. It’s not until tomorrow, but I thought maybe walking around the city would give me some inspiration.” Hanzo pauses before leaning in on the counter. “Is it usually this busy at this time? When I was coming in, it seemed like much of the morning rush traffic had already come and gone.”

The barista huffs and shakes his head as he pours Hanzo’s cup. “Not usually. The rush usually ends here at around 8:30, so… around 15 minutes ago. I wonder if all these people here are going to the same conference as you or something. Here you go. One dark brew.” The man smiles and hands Hanzo his order. The archer smiles and gives a “Dank je” in his rusty Dutch.

Hanzo is cautious as he picks a seat in the oddly busy cafe. It looks as though the building was made to seat about 20 people or so and is already half full. The archer picks a seat by the storefront windows and glances at the crowd in the store. To his left is a group of three seemingly college kids if their fashion is anything to go by. One has a laptop out and open while the other two are chatting amongst themselves. Just beyond them is a single older man reading a holotablet article. Another couple sit by the window like Hanzo, flirting over their artsy drinks. On the other side of the cafe is a large group of four. There is a mechanical box on the table that Hanzo can only assume is a portable stereo of some sorts. A group of three businessmen sit in another corner discussing quietly among themselves. Hanzo briefly wonders what trade of business they’re in, if it’s legal or not, before deciding it doesn’t pertain to their mission.

When walking the small area around the park, he found this cafe and decided it was a great place to keep an eye on activity. With its large windows at the storefront he can see nearly everything that happens in the area, and with the added bonus of being a cafe, as long as he has something to read or do, he can remain in one place for a while without seeming suspicious. Right next to the cafe is a tall department store that would give him a great vantage point should a fight break out. He takes a sip of his coffee—which is rather delicious and just what he needs at the moment—before taking out his comms device and sending a simple message to McCree.

It’s a little busy, but all seems clear.

Hanzo pulls out a holotablet and opens some store web page to window shop. He takes another sip of his coffee and looks about outside. There is a couple walking their dog in the park, and a small group of children running around and playing. So far everything seems to be running smoothly. It’s a bit boring, but he supposes that is a good thing. With nothing else to do, he decides to use the time to relax a little. He can hear a bit of the conversations around him flutter in and out of his hearing range.

“Dude! If things go well, we’re in! Aren’t you excited?” One college kid asks.

“I mean, yeah, but be quiet! You’re making a scene! There’s already a lot of people here.” 

“A bit overkill if you ask me.”

“Right?! I get us, but why do we need…”

Hanzo tunes them out. Must be some fraternity or something.

“Are you sure it’s gonna work?”

“Please! We tested this thing out last night, and it works great! The range is incredible.”

Hanzo hums. That strange box must really be a stereo then.

“We need to be there at 9 o’clock, right? It’s almost time.”

“Right, then I guess our meeting is over. We should get a move on.”

With that, the table of businessmen stand, throw away their trash and exit the cafe. The one in the back lets his eyes sweep over the establishment as he leaves before nodding and following the others. Hanzo snorts. He was right to think they were less than the savory type of business men. The older man to his left groans as he stands and throws his trash away. He leisurely strolls through the door and heads towards the park.

“It’s time! C’mon guys! Let’s go!”

“I swear you are way too excited about this…”

The table of college kids ready themselves to leave. The one with the laptop types a bit more furiously—perhaps finishing up a homework assignment—before shutting it and following the others out the door. Hanzo gets to the halfway point in his cup of coffee as the large group of four with the stereo make their way out the door. He hums and smiles to himself at the quiet of the cafe and resumes window shopping. It takes him a moment or two to address the sinking feeling in his stomach. Quickly, he looks up and finds that he is alone in the cafe save for the barista and the couple still flirting with each other. That was a large number of people to suddenly leave a store at once.

Hanzo takes another sip of coffee to think things through. All of the people who came varied quite a bit. There was the serious businessmen, the laid back college kids, the old man, and the group of four with the stereo. Surely they couldn’t all be going to the same place, right? What could they all possibly have in common?

“Oops! We lost track of time. The others are all already in their places. C’mon, we have to go.”

“Is the man we’re expecting already here?”

“Yup, that he is.”

Hanzo quickly turns to look out the window. He can see McCree roaming the streets and swallows past the dread he feels. As the couple leaves the shop, he pulls out his comms device and tries to call out to the cowboy.

“McCree? McCree! We’ve been compromised. Find Ray and get out now.” Hanzo watches the cowboy out the window and groans when he sees the man show no signs of having heard that. “McCree?! Do you hear me? This isn’t a drill, and this isn’t the time to ignore me. You need to hurry!” McCree just infuriatingly stops to pet the dog outside, laughing as the pup licks him. It’s then that Hanzo understands.

That wasn’t a stereo. That was a signal scrambler. It apparently had a great range too, so leaving the area probably wouldn’t help for some time. Hanzo groans and quickly downs the rest of his coffee. He cleans up quickly and bursts through the doors. He finds McCree talking with a man in the park and sighs, realizing that is Agent Ray. Just as Hanzo is about to dismiss his fears, he sees one of the college kids from the cafe pull out a gun. The barrel is aimed right at McCree.

“Shit!” Hanzo runs before he can think anything through. Agent Ray sees him coming and changes his stance. It’s enough to make McCree look, but Hanzo can see the kid about ready to pull the trigger on the gun. Hanzo leaps and shoves the cowboy out of the way just as the gun is fired. There’s a burning sensation in his left arm as he falls. McCree sits up and looks angry, but seeing the blood on Hanzo’s arm, he starts to understand the situation.

“Damn. How many of ‘em are there?” The cowboy is on his feet quickly, Peacekeeper already in hand. Hanzo grunts as he gets himself up, looking around the park.

“There was about 13 in the building I was staking out in. There could be more though. We need to hurry.” Hanzo answers. He looks to Agent Ray and bows his head slightly in a greeting. “We’ll introduce ourselves later. Right now, we need to leave.”

“Get down!” McCree yells. All three of them duck as another shot is fired. There is panic in the crowd as the Talon agents start to make themselves known. The cowboy looks up over the bench they used for cover and takes a shot. Hanzo hears a shout followed by a body hitting the ground. “Where’s your bow? Think you can take out a few while I get Ray to safety?”

“Perhaps. It’s on the roof of the department store there.” Hanzo points to the building next to the cafe he came from. McCree peeks over the bench at it and nods.

“Alright. I should be able to take care of anyone in your way, but you gotta make a break for it. Ready?” Hanzo nods. “Go!” McCree rolls out from behind the bench and fans the hammer of Peacekeeper. 6 shots are quickly released, and Hanzo hears three bodies hit the ground. He doesn’t stop to look who it was though as he races towards the department store. He can see that the customers inside are terrified, but he races to the back of the building and quickly scales the length of the building. There’s more gunfire below as he pulls his bow out the cello case. There’s even more shouts to be heard as he assembles his bow and nocks his first arrow.

Hanzo peers over the edge to find the three businessmen on the ground. He continues looking around, hoping to find the group of four with the scrambler. He finds one hiding in an alley and releases his shot. The man doesn’t scream as the arrow pierces his throat and he slides to the ground. Hanzo changes his position to find the other three in a panic. He quickly fires another arrow, pleased to see it pierce the box.

“I found their signal scrambler and destroyed. Can you hear me now, McCree?” he asks into the comms.

_“Loud and clear, and great timing too. Ray says his plane is just a couple blocks away. What can you see up there for a way out?”_ Another gunshot rings out, and Hanzo finds McCree rolling behind a tree to dodge. Hanzo lines up his shot based on the trajectory of the bullet and fires. He recognizes the victim as the older man in the cafe. A quick scan of the area reveals the remain three with the scrambler have fled. The remaining two college kids are set up to McCree’s left while the couple is set up to the North.

“The best way out would be to your right. You have two enemies straight ahead of you, but at this angle I can’t reach them. You have to be fast if you want to escape,” he responds. He lines up his shot and takes out another of the college kids. The last finally understands the situation and flees as well.

_“Just two you said? Alright then. Hanzo, go two blocks East and rendezvous with Ray there. I’ll be right there.”_ Just as the archer was about to argue, he sees McCree rush towards the couple like a fool. He shakes his head and does as he’s told. If the cowboy dies, it’s because of his own foolishness. This Agent Ray will be able to say as much as well.

Hanzo jumps across a couple of rooftops before he sees Agent Ray waiting below. He drops down from the building and nods to the man. “Hello, I’m Hanzo Shimada, a new recruit.” There’s a flash of recognition when his last name is said, but Agent Ray dismisses it.

“Ray Wagner. You can just call me Ray though. Everyone does,” he smiles and holds out his hand. Hanzo shakes it and glances back to the square they left McCree.

“So… How long do you think we have to wait for the cowboy?” Agent Ray just laughs and shrugs his shoulders.

“I’d say to at least wait a little bit. He never got a look at the guys we’re fighting. You alright by the way? Your arm I mean.”

Hanzo looks to his left arm. He is surprised he is not in more pain, but he supposes that is due to the adrenaline coursing through his body. The shot was clean, thankfully, and went straight through his bicep. For now, it is not debilitating, but he knows it will hurt to move his arm later. Due to the amount of blood he’s lost so far, he can guess that it didn’t hit a major artery. 

“It hurts a bit, but I’m sure it will be fine. I can just go see Doctor Zeigler when we return… Granted we do not wait too long.”

“Wait? Psssh! What kinda gentlemen would I be if I left y’all waitin’?” The two turn to see McCree ambling towards them down the alley. Agent Ray smiles but Hanzo turns his nose in contempt. Even if the cowboy made it out alive, it was rather foolish to rush in like that. “Don’t worry, Ray, not a scratch on me. Those two were too busy with each other to even bother with me. Well, let’s get this rodeo on the road, shall we?”

Leaving behind the chaos in town, the three walk to the other side of town where Agent Ray reveals his Orca in hiding. McCree breaths out a sigh of relief while Hanzo just soundlessly boards. He remembers seeing a first aid kit on the one Tracer piloted, so he looks in the same place and is not disappointed. He takes out the kit and sits down, prepared to get to work. To his surprise, McCree sits down next to him and takes it out of his hands.

“Here, lemme get that for you.” Without waiting for a response, the gunslinger gets to work, cleaning Hanzo’s wound and wrapping it. Hanzo narrows his eyes suspiciously as he works. McCree sighs as he finishes up. “I, uh… I wanna apologize to you ‘bout somethin’. Ya see…”

“I’m being watched… Is that it?” McCree slumps in his seat and nods wordlessly.

“I guess I shoulda figured that you’d figure it out. You’re pretty sharp after all.”

“It would be a bigger surprise that I did not figure it out. But still, you have nothing to apologize for. It is the right decision to not trust me.” The cowboy narrows his eyes and opens his mouth as if to speak, but Hanzo beats him to it. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get some rest before we return to the watchpoint.” Hanzo stands and leaves the cowboy stewing by himself.

* * *

When they reach the watchpoint, everyone is eagerly awaiting them. McCree and Agent ray take their time to unboard the plane, but Hanzo is quick. During his rest, he made up his mind to talk to a certain someone. Brigitte and Genji perk up when they see Hanzo, but Genji is quick to his side when he sees the bandage on his arm.

“Brother? What happened? Are you alright?”

“I am fine, Genji. I will tell you what happened later, but first, I need to speak to Winston.” Genji falters in his step, but quickly makes up for it.

“About mission stuff, right? Well… he’s in his office like usual.”

Hanzo nods and goes straight there. He can hear everyone greet McCree and Ray behind him, but he continues on. He enters Winston’s office and finds him grumpily eating peanut butter on a tire. The archer pauses, unused to such a sight before pressing on. “Winston?”

The gorilla starts and hurriedly puts down the peanut butter. He licks off his fingers before turning to face Hanzo. “Oh, uh… Hanzo… What can I do for you?”

“It has come to my attention that you have been monitoring me. I hope that after this mission, I have shown that I have no intentions of hindering Overwatch’s missions. It is honestly a waste of your resources to monitor me, so I’ve come to suggest that you stop.” Winston blinks and adjusts his glasses. He gives an awkward chuckle that makes Hanzo’s stomach drop.

“Uh… I don’t know how to tell you this, but… Well… I haven’t sent anyone to monitor you. You’ve been roaming free since you’ve been here. You have my word.” Winston fiddles his fingers together as the silence hangs in the air.

“What?!” Hanzo finally says. “That’s impossible! I mean… everything we’ve done so far, I’ve been paired up with McCree! That can’t just be a coincidence!”

“Actually… I was trying to help you.” Hanzo blinks. “You see… I was thinking about how I could help integrate you into the team. Not… everyone was excited to have you join. I didn’t want to pair you with someone who hated you, and I didn’t think you were quite ready to spend alone time with Genji yet. Brigitte has worked with Reinhardt for a while now, so I wanted her to work with him here to get more comfortable. As for Angela and Lena… well, they’ve been pretty obvious how they feel about you. Besides, Genji asked to work with Angela for a little while-probably to talk to her about you. That left McCree. When I asked him how he’d feel about working with you, he said he wouldn’t mind it… Was I wrong to do that?”

Hanzo steadies himself on the desk next to him. Perhaps the gorilla is right. He probably only gave the information to McCree because he has more experience in Overwatch. What McCree said also wouldn’t make sense if Winston had ordered him to watch Hanzo. The cowboy himself was guilty. This is why the cowboy would pop up at random times and why he would be impossible to find at others. McCree himself had been watching him.

“I… I see… I… seem to have jumped to the wrong conclusion… I apologize.” Hanzo bows his head and starts for the door.

“Oh! Uh, Hanzo…” The archer stops and faces the gorilla again. “I, uh… I just wanted to say… I meant what I said when we first met. We care about you too. You wanted to join, and I trust you. I trust all of the agents we have here. I believe you can do some good here.” The gorilla smiles but it just causes Hanzo to frown.

“But… Why? Why?! You know what I have done. You shouldn’t trust me!” Hanzo is shouting he feels desperate. It should be a relief to know that he wasn’t being monitored, but something still feels wrong.

“Genji has told me much about what you’ve done for the past ten years. Though I don’t necessarily agree with your… methods, the people you have been assigned to take care of were all criminals the world wouldn’t change to take care of.” Winston pauses and removes his glasses. He smiles sadly up at Hanzo and continues. “You don’t see the world for what it is, but what it could be if we removed all of the bad. That’s enough for me to trust you.” He puts the glasses back on his face and Hanzo just shakes his head.

“I don’t understand…”

“Genji said you might not. That’s okay. Just know that I do trust you. You should go have Angela take a look at your arm. Take it easy, Hanzo,” Winston smiles and turns back to sit in the tire. Hanzo stays still for a moment before collecting himself and leaving.

He is in a daze as his feet move. Finding Angela in the medbay and having his arm treated barely registers—though that could be partly in fact due to the painkillers he received. Hanzo nods halfheartedly at the directions for care the doctor gives him. Everything feels off, and he doesn’t understand why.

“You know,” Doctor Ziegler said randomly. Hanzo snaps to attention at those words and finds the woman writing on her clipboard. “Jesse told me what happened. I… may have had a bad image of you before. To me, you were just a heartless person who attempted to kill his brother, an innocent man. But… You did good today. Thank you for saving Jesse.” Hanzo shakes his head.

“You too?” is all he can say before he scrambles out of the door. He rushes to his room for silence and solitude, but the storm inside him prevents him from finding any calm. He sits on the floor beside his bed and stares at the wall beside him.

Hanzo feels off-balance. Something is wrong but he can’t place it. The agents around him are suddenly nice to him. It feels like a trap, but he can’t figure out why they would make one. He succeeded on the mission, so they know they can use him. It isn’t as though they would kill him either. That is left for Genji to do. What could the others possibly be plotting?

These thoughts swirl around his head for hours until he realises that the sun is just about to fade away. A knock at his door startles him. Thinking it is Genji here to hear about the mission, he shouts a “come in” to his visitor. He is surprised to see McCree there instead, hatless and in a flannel and jeans. The man is awkward as he slowly steps into the room, his hands tucked into his pockets.

“Hey… Look, I uh…” He pauses to swallow, leaving Hanzo in suspense. “I wanted to invite you out to drinks… As a ‘thank you’ for saving me today. My treat. There’s a bar in town that should do the trick, ‘cause Winston don’t have nothin’ here.”

Hanzo opens his mouth to question the man or refuse, but he stops. He can feel the stress from the unanswered questions in his mind. Alcohol would definitely free him from it, if only for one night. Seeing that he has nothing to lose, he nods. “Alright, just let me change clothes. One moment.” McCree nods and moves to leave the room, but Hanzo starts changing with him there. The cowboy coughs awkwardly and turns to face the door. With the numbness from the painkillers, and the pain of the wound itself, changing into a simple muscle T-shirt proves to be difficult. But luckily, changing into sweatpants is simple enough with one good arm and a semi-functional one. When he’s done, he simply passes the cowboy and leaves the room.

McCree catches up and leads him to a bus stop down the hill from the base to reach town. The transit is quiet, allowing Hanzo some peace. McCree says nothing the whole ride, either out of awkwardness or because he can sense how at unease the archer is, but he is thankful for it regardless. When they reach the bar, he is eager to feel the familiar burn of alcohol. McCree saunters over to the bar and finds a seat. Hanzo has to work hard at walking slow enough behind him to not seem as unnerved as he is. Once they’re finally seated, his impatience gets the best of him. He taps the bar counter to get the bartender’s attention.

“Shot of tequila please.” The bartender nods and turns to McCree.

“Double shot of whiskey, on the rocks.” The bartender nods once more and soon their drinks are in front of them. Hanzo grabs his and immediately downs it. The familiar burn in his throat and nose comforts him as the smooth liquid slides down his throat. He huffs out a breath and wipes his mouth of the small bits that escaped. Once more, he knocks on the bar and orders another. Hanzo downs the second shot as soon as it comes and sits still for a minute to let the alcohol start to take effect. A whistle beside him reminds him that he is not alone. He looks to see McCree only a sip into his alcohol.

“Ya don’t hold back on yer liquor do ya?” McCree has an amused smile about him that makes Hanzo feel worse.

“Sorry, I am just… I don’t get it,” he blurts out. McCree blinks and sets his drink down on the counter.

“Alright… Wanna tell me what it is that you don’t get?” Hanzo grows irritated at the calm town the cowboy uses, but ignores it.

“Why everyone is being so nice to me suddenly. You should all hate me, despise me! It makes no sense as to why you would want to trust me now. Even inviting me out to drinks makes no sense!” He waves his arms around as he talks much to his disappointment. It takes only a second more to realize that he is not drunk enough to have this conversation. The bartender seems to read his mind as he’s in front of Hanzo in a moment, cleaning a glass with a rag.

“Another tequila?”

“Yes please.” The man nods and sends out a new shot in a few moments. Hanzo stares at this one for a moment before gulping it down at once again. His head starts spinning.

“That might’ve been true, but it ain’t now. Sounds to me like the only one who hates you now is you,” McCree says. Hanzo barks out a laugh.

“I hate myself? Please, do you realize how ridiculous you sound right now, cowboy?” Hanzo frowns through his trouble saying the word cowboy and rests his head on his hand. He sighs and shakes his head. “Perhaps you are right… You are wrong, but you are also right…”

McCree purses his lips. “I know you ain’t drunk enough to not make sense yet, so wanna explain that a bit so I can understand?”

Hanzo sighs again. “We Shimada are raised to be proud. We spend years training, honing our skills. We were among the best clans in Japan, what reason would have to not be proud? I was always clever. My father let me in on his business when I was just in high school still when he didn’t begin until he was 30. I am the best the Shimada clan has to offer, and I know that.”

“Wow, you’re right. I was wrong. It’s definitely not a problem of hating yourself. Sounds like it’s the opposite,” McCree grumbles into his drink. Hanzo shakes his head.

“That’s where you’re wrong. I was the best the Shimada clan has to offer, and I know that. I let that pride blind me. I made the biggest mistake of my life, and there’s nothing I can do to fix it. I failed my clan. I failed myself. I failed the most important person in my life. I hate myself. How could I have done that?” Hanzo tries to reach up with his left arm but hisses in the pain it brings him. McCree finally finishes his drink and calls the bartender over again.

“Two Tequila Sunrises, please.”

“Your friend gonna be alright there?” the man asks, pointing to Hanzo. He curses. His face must be red already. He lifts his head to look at the bartender.

“I assure you, I’m fine. Getting red faced when drinking runs in my family,” the archer says. The bartender nods and makes them their drinks. Hanzo does however take his time drinking this one.

“Ya know… When Genji first got here, he hated you. For good reason too. But now he sees you as the great big brother you were when you were kids… Ya know, I never really had any siblings. What was it like when y’all were younger?”

Hanzo chuckles. “I can assure you, our childhood was not like most other children’s. Well, it was when we were in elementary school.”

“Sure, it might not be normal, but I still wanna hear it,” McCree insists. Hanzo eyes his before looking back at his drink.

“Genji was always such an active child. Our parents had a hard time calming him down or getting him to sit still during our meals. Me… I was a big jerk at first. I wasn’t used to being a big brother. I thought Genji was annoying the first few years of his life. It wasn’t until I was around 8, Genji around 5, that I started appreciating him. The other kids in school were scared of me—more the Shimada name than anything but still. I didn’t know what my family did just then, but I knew that because of my family, I couldn’t talk to other kids well. But luckily… I had Genji. We went to the same school, so during breaks, we would sneak off to go talk to each other. We’d make fun of our teachers or some of the kids, stuff like that. Genji seemed to actually have friends though. He was always charismatic like that. But despite that… he still chose to spend his time with me.”

“Sounds like y’all were close.” McCree adds. Hanzo nods.

“We were. You wouldn’t believe it now seeing how we act though. Even back then. Things started to change when I entered middle school.” Hanzo takes a break to finish off his drink, having been taking sips here and then through that story. McCree leans in, a slight frown on his face.

“You mean you started to change, right?” Hanzo suddenly slams his drink down on the counter.

“I did what I had to!” he shouts. The whole bar is thrown into silence, all eyes on him. Despite this, Hanzo doesn’t back down and continues glaring at the cowboy beside him. When he sees that McCree hadn’t meant any harm by what he said, he slumps back in his seat. Chatter resumes throughout the bar. “I did what I had to…” he repeats, quieter. A hand rests on his shoulder, and Hanzo turns to find McCree giving him a sympathetic smile.

“You can tell yourself that, but looks like you don’t believe it.” McCree removes his hand, and Hanzo is stunned into silence. Is McCree… trying to help him? “If you wanna know what I think… it’s been ten years. You gotta let some stuff go. It might help you out. You might stop hating yourself so much.” Hanzo shakes his head.

“How… How can you say such an irresponsible thing?” McCree laughs.

“Irresponsible, huh? Well… maybe, but you know… Someone very smart once told me this: The world is older as dirt, and the universe and stars even older than that. Humans? We have such a short life compared to everything else that we can’t stay stuck on one point in our lives. We can just move on and try not to make the same mistakes.” McCree sets his glass down carefully and faces Hanzo fully. “I think you could use that advice. If Genji’s already forgiven you, you don’t have to stay stuck on that incident ten years ago. I know I’ve made a ton of mistakes in my life I’d love to take back, but I can’t. Hearing those reminds me that it’s alright to forgive myself.”

“But you didn’t kill your brother!”

“You didn’t either.” Hanzo is once more stunned into silence. “He’s alive. Sure, he might look different, but he’s still alive. You didn’t kill him.”

Hanzo sways in his seat. He knows that the other is trying to comfort him, but his words are just adding to the confusion inside him. Hanzo stands abruptly. “I’m going back. Don’t come with me… I need to be alone.” The scion leaves McCree behind, taking the bus back to the base. As he climbs the hill, he can feel the full effects of the alcohol. He sways with every step, his mind is buzzing, and the world is both too clear yet not clear at all.

As he walks, an old song he used to sing with Genji when they were younger comes to mind. He hums the tune at first, then starts to sing it aloud.

_ Donguri korokoro donburiko _

_ O-ike ni hamatte saa taihen _

_ Dojou ga detekite konnichi wa _

_ Botchan issho ni asobimashou _

_ Donguri korokoro yorokonde _

_ Shibaraku issho ni asonda ga _

_ Yappari o-yama ga koishii to _

_ Naite wa dojou wo komaraseta _

He repeats the song over and over as he walks. Memories of childhood flood his senses, making him laugh at times and cry at others. The halls in the base are empty, both a comfort and not. Hanzo stumbles into his room as he laughs about a prank he and Genji had pulled on the elders one time. He collapses onto his bed and stares at the ceiling, his laughter fizzing out.

He wants to go back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here's the translation for the children's song I used in the chapter:  
> An acorn rolled down and down,  
> He suddenly fell into a pond.  
> Then came the loaches,  
> Hi boy! Come play with us!  
> The acorn enjoyed playing with them.  
> But he soon began to cry,  
> I want to go back to the mountain.  
> The loaches didn't know what to do.
> 
> Loaches are a type of fish. I thought the song suited the situation rather well and decided to add it in~  
> Alright, so next chapter, we get a few more characters to join the crew (finally) and we can watch Hanzo squirm even more~! I'm excited. Hope to get the next chapter out to you guys soon. Till then~


	6. Means to an End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's like a soap opera so many people get introduced and Hanzo is confused by what in the world McCree could possibly be doing, like why?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the looooooooooong wait time on this chapter guys. it didn't help that I went on vacation for a week and couldn't work on this during that time either, but I have good news! I've been writing this all in one word doc basically and with this chapter, we have passed 100 pages in a word document! (lol)
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me this far, and it's because we're so far that I have to admit, I'm dumb and didn't even think to include the dragons, so here they are, but not the noodle dragons everyone knows and loves (maybe, for now at least). Anyways, with so many introductions this chapter, it didn't feel right to leave them out still, especially not since I love thinking about the dragons anyways. But, that's enough of my rambling for now. I hope you enjoy the chapter~!

The dull thud is a pleasing sound to Hanzo. With his injury, he hadn’t been allowed to pick up his bow for a few days. It’s now been almost two weeks and this is his first time releasing an arrow since. He nearly sighs in relief at the sound. Instead, he pulls out another arrow. He lines up the arrow with the bowstring and pulls back. The pull of his muscles is familiar, practiced. With a deep breath, the archer lines up his shot and releases, the arrow hitting the target in its bullseye. Hanzo smiles, glad to see that his aim has not left him in his recovery time. Of course, the burn in his bicep is there, but it is not debilitating at least.

Hanzo decides to shoot only ten arrows, not wanting to harm his recovery. As he’s pulling the tenth arrow back, he hears footsteps approach him. This time, he does let out an exaggerated sigh. “I can assure you, McCree, I have not been here long and I am almost finished. I am not pushing myself too hard. You can ask Athena if you do not believe me.” There is a moment of silence then a soft, high pitched giggle erupts. Hanzo’s shot goes wide as he turns to face Brigitte in surprise.

The girl shakes her head and puts her hands to her stomach. “You and McCree must be close if you thought I was him. Do you two practice together a lot?” Hanzo rolls his eyes and drops his stance.

“It’s more like he is a bug I cannot shoo away or squish. He always comes around when I do not want him.” Hanzo moves to remove the arrows from the target. Only a couple shots hit further out. Most of the shots were in the second innermost ring—due to his lack of power he suspects—while a couple did actually hit the bullseye. Those shots hurt the most he recalls.

“I can understand that, but McCree and the others haven’t returned from their mission yet.” She looks at her nails for a moment as if to inspect them before smirking up at the archer. “Seems to me like you’re missing him. I’m sure they’ll be back soon the way the news has been looking.” Hanzo just snorts. Once he’s collected all of his arrows, he turns to the girl with an appraising eye.

“Well, what is it that you want? I hardly doubt you’ve come to bother me about who I spend my time with here.” Brigitte nods and lifts up her mace.

“Well, since it’s my job to look after you—I know you’re fine, but it’s still my job,” she corrects as she sees Hanzo start to get defensive. “I figured I could test out my latest adjustments on my mace and get you some healing at the same time. Then we can go back to the medbay and do all of that boring stuff Angela insists gets done.” Hanzo looks to the mace. From what he’s heard, it’s both a defensive and offensive tool. It would be a lie to say he isn’t curious to see it in action. Besides, with a smile like that, Hanzo finds himself finding a reason to say no.

“Alright, that does sound like a good idea. Show me what you’ve got.” Hanzo smiles at the smirk the girl sends him as she turns to a training bot. With one swing of the mace, Hanzo can see the biotic energy slowly spreading from the girl. The bit of sting he got from firing his bow dulls as he’s enveloped by the biotic field. It is certainly a wondrous weapon. Hanzo briefly wonders if she had designed it or if someone else is responsible. After just a few more swings, the girl stops and turns towards Hanzo once again.

“Well? How are you feeling?” Her question is airy, a testament to the amount of strength the weapon requires. He’s sure she’ll need to work on her stamina given time.

“Better, actually. That weapon of yours is quite impressive.” Brigitte smiles and waves her head to get her ponytail behind her shoulders.

“Glad you think so. Been working on something to help me keep up with Reinhardt in the field. But, now that I know it works well, it’s time to do all of the boring paperwork in the medbay.” The girl rolls her eyes and starts towards the door. Hanzo walks silently beside her. Though young, Brigitte has proven herself to be rather good company these past two weeks. Her honesty and straightforwardness is actually refreshing, and her bright attitude does much to counter Hanzo’s natural bristliness. It hasn’t been said either, but Hanzo is sure that she appreciates him not treating her like a child.

When they reach the medical bay, Hanzo sits on a patient bed without being asked as Brigitte goes about collecting the things she needs. Stormbow is set beside him as he waits. Soon, the girl returns and begins unwrapping the bandage on his arm. The cloth still sticks to the wounds but comes free easily with just a slight tug. Brigitte is thorough as she prods the entry and exit wound, testing its regrowth and scarring.

“Your arm is looking much better. The nanobiotics really are working wonders. A gunshot wound like that would have had you out for a couple of months, but with the way this is looking, I think you’d be clear for missions in just about another week.” Brigitte smiles at him before turning her attention to a clipboard. It was very nerving to know that he has a file here at Overwatch when he joined, but after being explained that the information there is only used to help him, Hanzo eventually relented. It is rather hard to argue with Winston and Angela he soon found out. 

The clatter of the clipboard being set down turns Hanzo’s attention back to Brigitte. Her lips are pursed as she pulls out a new roll of bandages to re-wrap his arm. Every so often, her eyes flicker up to his. She says nothing, but Hanzo knows there must be something she wishes to say.

“Is there something on your mind?” he finally asks. Brigitte’s eyes quickly meet his in a bit of panic as she bites her lower lip.

“Oh! Uh… I mean, it was nothing important, but… I was just thinking about how similar we are… I mean it in a good way! I… I kinda wish I were more like you actually.” Hanzo raises a brow at her words. It’s almost laughable to think a bright, strong young girl such as she wants to be more like him. The world would be much better of without him, and he’s just waiting for everyone else to see that as well.

“ _Us_? Similar?” A small laugh escapes him. “How so?” A faint blush is visible on Brigitte’s cheeks and guilt soils his mood. He didn’t mean to make her think he was insulted.

“You’ve got them too. Everyone’s expectations of you. I… don’t know what they are exactly, but I know they’re there. Since I first saw you with the group, everyone looked at you like you were supposed to be doing something else.” Hanzo turns even more silent, giving the girl his full attention. She is much sharper than he first gave credit. Brigitte sighs as she finishes wrapping his arm. She stands to her full height only to plop down on the bed beside him, bouncing them both slightly. 

“I’ve got them. Reinhardt’s expectations of me to perform perfectly as his squire and goddaughter. Angela expecting me to not take healing seriously since I’m just a child. Then there’s Winston and Lena too not to mention my own father. I know that they all mean well, but it’s suffocating sometimes, you know?” She runs her hands through her hair and groans. “I guess it’s what I get for being around Overwatch since birth and falling for Reinhardt’s exaggerated stories as a kid. But that’s what I admire about you.” She turns to Hanzo with a bright smile on her face. He can see just a bit of the child excited to be around her heroes that she usually tends to hide. “You have all of these expectations from everyone put on you, but you don’t let that stop you. You continue on as yourself and if it doesn’t meet everyone’s expectations, you don’t let it bother you. You are just so confident in all that you do without worrying what other people will think. I just wish I had more of that myself, you know?”

Hanzo lets out a thoughtful hum. “I suppose that is one way to look at things. But I fear you could do much better than finding a role model in me.” He shakes his head as he picks up his bow. The confused look on Brigitte’s face is almost missed as he stands.

“But why?” Brigitte’s eyes bear so much innocence it’s unnerving. The shine to them reminds Hanzo much of Genji in their youth. Such trusting eyes putting their faith in the wrong man.

“You… know nothing of what I have done, and it is for the best that you do not. There are many things that I have yet to atone for.” Hanzo tries to maintain eye contact as he speaks, but it proves difficult with eyes that shine like Brigitte’s. The archer finds his gaze drifting to the floor. It does little however. Brigitte just huffs and stands from the bed as well.

“Well, there it is.” He can practically hear her rolling her eyes at him. “McCree and Genji both said you had moods. I was wondering what they meant but now I see. You’re too hard on yourself for someone who doesn’t care what others think of them.” She punches him—perhaps with a bit too much strength—on his uninjured arm. Hanzo looks to the girl to see a wry and playful smile on her face. “Buck up! You’re in Overwatch. What bad can you possibly do here?” Hanzo begins to wonder at what point in his life did he fall so far as to need a pep talk from such a young girl. Then again, she does seem used to giving lectures to stubborn old men.

_ Agent Lindholm? I’ve been informed that Agent Tracer is nearing the base and will be landing soon. They will be in hangar 4 upon arrival. _

“Really?!” Brigitte actually jumps with excitement. She turns to Hanzo and begins tugging on his arm to pull him forward. “Come on! That means that Papa is going to be here soon! Oh, I can’t wait for you to meet him. Let’s hurry!” Hanzo just shakes his head and allows himself to be pulled by the girl. Who is he to deny the mechanic this simple joy?

It isn’t before long that they are standing in the hangar together waiting. Brigitte is nearly bouncing with excitement while Hanzo merely leans against a nearby wall. The Orca is heard before it is seen, the load roar of the aircraft’s engines breaching the thick walls of the hangar. Soon, the door opens—with more loud mechanical roaring— and Brigitte is in motion to meet the Orca as it readies for touchdown. With one glance back at the archer, Hanzo pushes himself from the wall and moves a bit closer as well. There’s a bit of wind from the turbines as the aircraft lands, but soon the engine is cut and the ship stills. Hanzo and Brigitte wait near the door as it opens and a small walkway is formed by the door. Lena quickly zips out in a blur of blue, giving a short greeting to the pair before moving on to who knows what.

The next occupant to leave the aircraft though is quite unexpected. Brigitte gasps and Hanzo has an arrow nocked and ready to release before he even realizes it. One long, blue LED panel stares at the pair of them as a bird flies from its shoulder to Brigitte. Hanzo waits for the panel to turn red, for the machine to stop walking on two feet and settle down for combat, but it never does. Still, the girl next to him is frozen to the spot, a testament to her inexperience in combat. The archer trains his arrow on the Bastion unit, ready to strike. Pain flares up in his injury once more, but it takes a backseat in his mind to the possible threat of an omnic attack. The bastion unit takes another step forward before pausing, as if scared of Hanzo and Brigitte.

“Now, now, don’t venture off too far. I haven’t told the others about you yet. Don’t want you getting hurt.” The gruff voice came from further inside the aircraft, confusing Hanzo. Brigitte however comes to her senses and goes into action. She takes a trembling step forward, her eyes searching the inside of the Orca.

“Papa? Is that you? Are you alright?”

Finally, a very short and stout man makes an appearance from the inside of the Orca. He grumpily bounds down towards the door and pokes at the Bastion unit with a claw arm. Hanzo blinks at the man, stunned at how he can confront a Bastion with such little care.

“What are you doing just standing there? Go on. Get a move on!” Finally, the man turns towards Brigitte and Hanzo and smiles at them. “Oh there ye are, Brigitte. I thought I had heard you. I’m back now.” The man waddles down the ramp and stops before Brigitte. He barely reaches her hips with his short stature.

“Papa, what on Earth have you done now? A Bastion unit?! Are you insane?!” Brigitte stomps her foot on the ground and crosses her arms over her shoulders. The man groans and wipes at his brow. Sensing the danger is over for the moment, Hanzo lowers his bow and places the arrow back in its quiver.

“Now, Brigitte,” the man tries. Brigitte just huffs and turns her head away stubbornly. “It isn’t dangerous. When I found it, it didn’t even try to attack anyone. I think it’s more interested in playing with flowers and that birdie it has than anything. The people were going to destroy it! I couldn’t let that happen.”

“You said it didn’t try to attack anyone?” Hanzo asks, stepping forward. It’s then that the man seemingly notices Hanzo’s presence and stares at him.

“Who’s this one?” The short man asks. Brigitte sighs and rolls her eyes again.

“That’s Hanzo, Papa. Anyways, are you sure it’s not dangerous?”

“Yes! Quite sure. Besides, we could always use a mascot.” The man laughs at his joke though no one else does. The Bastion unit lets out a few booping sounds, and if Hanzo didn’t know any better, he’d say it sounds as confused as he is.

“Papa…” There’s a bit of warning in Brigitte’s voice, but eventually she just sighs. Her face softens and her arms fall from her chest. “It’s good to see you again, Papa. I see you’re still getting into trouble like always.”

“Ha! Back at you. It can’t be easy being around Reinhardt all of the time.” The man takes a few steps towards Hanzo and holds out his flesh hand. “Torbjörn Lindholm. Overwatch’s finest mechanic.” Hanzo nods in greeting and shakes the offered hand. Torbjörn looks him over with a sly grin on his face. “So yer the famous Hanzo, huh? You look much like yer brother.” Hanzo harrumphs and turns from the man.

“And I’m failing to see the resemblance to your daughter.” The words are out before he can stop them, but it doesn't seem to bring down the lighthearted mood. In fact, Torbjörn surprisingly just laughs and begins walking towards the rest of the base. That lighthearted laughter crawls beneath Hanzo’s skin in the worst possible way. He can feel his blood boiling slightly.

“She always did take after her mother in the looks department. I’m just glad she’s a mechanic, just like her father.”

“Papa…” Brigitte groans. She puts a hand to her forehead and shakes her head. The Bastion unit beeps and boops, cheerily following after the mechanic. Hanzo stares after the two in marvel. “Sorry about my father… He’s a weird one sometimes.” At that Hanzo barks out a short laugh.

“It seems Overwatch is good at collecting an eclectic bunch of people. I will just have to let his skills speak for him instead.” Brigitte smiles and together the two leave. It isn’t long before they see Torbjörn and the Bastion unit standing still in a hallway. “Papa? You lost?”

“No, nothing of the sort. I’m just trying to figure out what to do with this one…” Torbjörn gestures to the Bastion unit who just beeps again. The bird on its shoulder flits over to the top of its head where some wild growth is carrying what appears to be a small nest. “He could use a good scrub down… and some repairs to its armor… but where are you we going to put it?”

_ Might I suggest the Western overlook? There is a sizable plot of land that could be turned into a garden, and the cropping of rocks there will provide excellent coverage should anyone consider taking a look at the base. _

“That’s a great idea, Athena! We can just keep it there, and it shouldn’t cause anyone trouble. It can even keep itself busy with a garden. Now, if I were a hose, where would I be?” Torbjörn grumbles. The man is in motion once again, eyes searching as if a hose would magically appear in the hallway.

“Um…” All eyes turn towards Hanzo, shocking him with the attention. He clears his throat and gestures to the Bastion unit. “If it isn’t too much trouble, I could clean it and get it settled out there.”

“You? Are you sure?” Torbjörn asks.

“Yes. I’ve been growing a bit stir crazy due to this injury,” Hanzo pauses to make the bandage on his arm known. “Giving this omnic a bath should be within the scope of my abilities.”  And give him more time to himself. 

“That’s a great idea. It’ll probably cause you less discomfort than trying to shoot your bow right now anyways.

“Well, I don't see why not. This’ll give me more time to talk to Winston about what’s been done around the watchpoint anyways. I get the feeling that it isn’t much and you’ll be needing my expertise a lot.” Torbjörn turns his back with a dismissive wave and starts to walk away. “Go ahead, Shimada. It’s all yers.”

Despite knowing it wouldn’t be seen, Hanzo gives the short man a small bow before turning to the Bastion unit. “Well, I suppose it’s time to give you a bath.” The omnic chirps excitedly and follows Hanzo outside. The crisp air outside offers Hanzo a breath of fresh air. Being on the base really can be stifling in many different ways. He lets out a deep breath as he leads the omnic to the area he thinks will be its new home. To his pleasure, a few crates in the area hold various different yard supplies. Hanzo finds a hose with relative ease and a spout to hook it up to as well. It isn’t long before he has a clean stream of water flowing on the omnic.

The bastion unit chirps in surprise before letting out pleased chortles and boops. Its accompanying bird flitters about during the bath as the omnic plays under the water. It slows down the bathing process slightly, but so long as it doesn’t attack and Hanzo has some free time to himself, he doesn’t complain. For some reason, being around the omnic is as relaxing as it is perplexing. Eventually, the marvel of of the hose wears off on the omnic and it settles down for a proper bath. Hanzo needs to use his free hand to get rid of some of the harder to get off sediment when the hose isn’t enough. The act of cleaning the Bastion off surprisingly doesn’t hurt, and Hanzo can see now that he really is recovering. It wouldn’t be too far off to say that he can return to missions in a week.

Eventually, the omnic is fairly clean, its metal plates shining off the reddening sunlight. Hanzo briefly looks out to the setting sun over the water before turning his attention back to the omnic. “I suppose we will need to be able to call you something. It will be quite difficult to proceed without naming you.” The omnic gives a few boops to which Hanzo just shakes his head. “If you’re saying something, I can’t understand. Now… what should we name you… Kenta?... Pochi?... Shiro?” The omnic shakes its head and lets out sad sounding boops. Hanzo lets out a hum. “Perhaps we should talk to the others.”

_ If I may, Agent Shimada, this one says that the name ‘Bastion’ is fine. _

Hanzo hums again. “Of course, it would make sense that you can understand it. Well, thank you for your help, Athena. I’ll be sure to let the others know its name too.” The omnic—Bastion—sits on the edge of the small plot of land, looking at the sun setting over the water. Hanzo wordlessly sits next to it, staring out over the water as well.  Hanamura was fairly close to the ocean as well, a sight like this should be common to him now. However, there are things to remind that this isn’t Japan, that his life has changed. The archer lets out a bitter chuckle at the thought. He can feel the omnic’s eyes on him and just shakes his head.

“I just find it funny is all. Overwatch shut down years ago. I figured that the organization had finally become washed out from trying to achieve impossible goals, but now they’re back at it again. It seems that nothing is as it appears. These people… have a bad habit of picking up troublesome allies.” Bastion beeps and tilts its head in a confused manner. “You are a Bastion. Omnics like you desecrated humanity for years. Even to this day, just the sight of you can send people running in fear. Yet someone here in Overwatch thinks you are good… that you are more than the sins of your past. I… The same is happening for me, though I am unable to tell if it is a good thing or not. Even the dragons are having a hard time figuring it out. The people here are good but… they are complete idiots.” Bastion lets out a series of noises that Hanzo just ignores. It’s not as if he can understand it after all.

_ Bastion says that you will just have to make sure that nothing bad happens to repay their kindness. _

Hanzo stiffens. Of course. Athena is always there. She had to be listening in. “Athena… Is there any way for you to… delete everything I said from your records?” Surprisingly, the AI laughs at him.

_ Of course it is possible, but that kind of clearance is given only to Winston or the commander of Overwatch who is currently Winston. Don’t worry, I can assure you that Winston has much better things to do than go through every single conversation the agents have on base. He only listens to conversations if I find them suspicious and flag them for him. He will not look into this one. You can rest assured. _

Hanzo lets out the breath he doesn’t realize he’s holding. It really is a relief that Athena holds as much humanity as she does, even if it is breaching on god program territory. His peace however is shortly lived as Athena speaks up once more.

_ Agent Shimada? I have just been informed that the others have returned from their mission in Rio de Janeiro. Your brother is currently looking for you. Should I let him know where you are? _

Ice grips at the archer’s heart. Of course they would be returning soon. With an injury like his, there’s no excuse for him to hide. He shakes his head fervently. “No, don’t bring him here… In fact, I think I’ll stay out here a while longer. Can you… let me know when he gives up looking for me?”

_ Of course. _

Hanzo sighs in relief despite feeling the omnic watching him. He just waves it off. “You wouldn’t understand,” he says. He already said too much around the omnic and Athena as it is. There isn’t more he wishes to say. The dragons that live within him are scolding him enough as it is. 

* * *

 

Finally, with the stars as his only company now that he is sure the omnic has entered rest mode for the night, Hanzo stands from his perch in the plot of land now to belong to Bastion. It should be late enough that dinner has been made and most every having ate it. According to the cooking schedule Winston created not too long ago, tonight was Lena’s turn, so he could expect something decent. Feeling the hunger deep within him, Hanzo sets off towards the cafeteria. The smell of food—something that smells heavily of carbs—is not surprising while the many voices inside the cafeteria are. He can hear Reinhardt’s boisterous laughter, Brigitte’s chiding comments, Lena’s commentary, and some sounds from an unfamiliar voice. Curious, Hanzo throws all caution and plans of being alone to the wind and enters the cafeteria.

His comrades are there as he expected, but there’s a new arrival among them. A young boy sits at one of the tables next to Lena and across from Reinhardt, his face bright and highly expressive. His skin is rather dark, as is his hair that is pulled back into dreadlocks. Headphones sit around his neck, but the boy’s fingers strum the tables as he talks as though he really is listening to a song. Eventually, the boy sees Hanzo and perks up. He jumps up from the table—quite literally—and effortlessly floats over to the archer. Hanzo is admittedly confused by the ease of the movement for a moment before he sees the skates on his feet and is now even more curious as to why this boy is skating everywhere.

“Yo! You must be Hanzo, huh? Good to meetcha man!” The boy holds out a hand which Hanzo shakes in a bit of a stupor.

“Did the fact that I am asian give that away?” he finds himself asking. The boy just laughs and slaps his knee.

“Aw man! That is too funny! I hadn’t thought of that actually. It’s just I’ve met everyone but you and Hanzo is the only name left, so that makes you Hanzo. I’m Lúcio Correia dos Santos, but you can call me Lúcio. I’m the one that led the rebellion in Rio that your team helped out with. When they asked if I wanted to join Overwatch, I was like, boy I’d be dumb not to! And boom! The rest is history!” Hanzo slowly nods. The boy is nearly all over the place with his endless energy. Hanzo is having a hard time figuring out if he’s more energetic than Lena.

“I...see… I’m afraid my story isn’t quite as grand…” The boy deflates a bit at the dismissive words. “But, welcome to the team. I am sure I will be able to count on you out in the field.” Once again, Lúcio perks up, a huge smile on his face.

“Oh hell yeah! You see, my dad is this great engineer and he made this really cool thing I use in battles. It’s my gun—of sorts—but also thanks to my dad’s tech, I can give us some really cool advantages. I’m not the greatest at it, but I can heal a bit, so if you’re hurt on the field, don’t hesitate to call out to me, alright?” Despite himself, Hanzo finds himself smiling.

“Yes, I will do so. Thank you, Lúcio.” The boy nods and skates away with just as much energy as he did when he approached. Hanzo starts towards the kitchen, but the telltale sound of spurs lets him know that he won’t get very far.

“So that’s where ya wandered off to, huh? So I take it you met Lú?” McCree’s drawl sounds from near the entrance. Hanzo gives a short glance before nodding.

“Yes, he’s a very bright young man.” Hanzo doesn’t let the conversation distract him from his true goal: the kitchen.

“Yeah, it’s amazin’ a young thing like that led a rebellion, but I suppose he had everyone in the city to help. When we got there, the fightin’ was mostly over. We just provided support to the wounded and helped rebuild as much o’ the city as we could.” McCree sticks close to the archer as he enters the kitchen. He can see a pot of mashed potatoes, some sausages, and some sort of conglomeration of different foods together. “Lena said it’s bangers and mash with shepherd's pie. It wasn’t too bad when I had it, but it’s mostly more due to her skills in the kitchen than the actual food itself.” Hanzo nods a brief thanks before settling his own plate of food. The activity in the cafeteria is still too high for his liking, so the archer just settles in against the counter to begin eating. He raises a brow at the cowboy who is also just standing there, seemingly watching.

“Do you need something, McCree, or are you just planning on watching me eat?” To his surprise, the man just chuckles and leans casually against the counter as well.

“Well, I was thinkin’...” McCree shrugs as if trying to act nonchalant, but even that in and of itself is rather suspicious. “I’m back from a mission, and you ain’t a bad drinkin’ partner. Usually I drink alone after missions, but maybe you could join me again?” Hanzo snorts.

“What? No better excuse this time to keep tabs on me? I thought you already knew I don’t mean anyone in Overwatch harm and I don’t want to be babysat like this.”

“It’s not ‘cause of that though, honest. I haven’t been keepin’ tabs on ya since I told you about it.” He actually looks somewhat guilty about it what with the way he averts his eyes. Hanzo just snorts again.

“Then why try? I thought the last time was proof enough that I shouldn’t provide anyone company while drinking.” To that, McCree just shrugs and tips up the hat on his head. There’s something so casual about the action that just irks Hanzo.

“Well, maybe it’s cause o’ last time I think you should be around people more. You’re kinda like a ghost on base, ya know? Wouldn’t hurt you to socialize a bit more, and I figured the best way to do that is to give you the opportunity for it.”

Hanzo sighs and lets his fork sag into the mashed potatoes. The food really does taste better than it looks which provides some comfort. The mood however does put a damper on his appetite. He mulls over his options for a bit. On the one hand, he could take McCree up on his offer and go out drinking. It would probably be filled with awkward silences that the cowboy tries to fill with even more conversation. Eventually, he’ll stumble upon some topic of conversation that hits too hard, Hanzo will become upset and say something hurtful yet again in his drunken anger. On the other, he could decline the invitation and stay on the base. Though he could try to find some comfort in his own room, knowing that Genji is looking for him would ruin any semblance of peace he may find. Not to mention that McCree might bother him here on the base anyways or worse, bring Genji along for an even more awkward and harmful conversation.

Why did he join Overwatch again?

For redemption, his dragons remind him. To heal says another deeper part of his mind. Eventually, Hanzo lets out a deep sigh and resigns to his fate. “I guess I will accompany you for drinks tonight. But! I will finish my dinner before going out.”

McCree chuckles at him and shakes his head. “I meant it when I said I didn’t mean any funny business ‘bout it. Ya don’t gotta force yourself to come.”

“No… It’s not that I wish to come, just that it is the best choice out of many alternatives. I am not forcing myself. I just wonder what my life has come to.”

“Could be worse. Could always be worse.” McCree pulls out a cigarillo and lights the tip. Once it’s in his mouth, he quiets considerably, and Hanzo uses that time to finish his meal. The cowboy is still rather confusing. His hatred for Hanzo is well known and understood, yet the man insists on playing this kind of game. Being invited to drinks for a second time? Without doing anything to warrant it this time? Being nice and simply providing Hanzo with some company? Sure, Hanzo had expected McCree to not scrutinize him as much after their last mission together, but he thought it would only change enough to let him do the work Overwatch wants him to do. There is no need to force himself to converse with the archer otherwise, is there?

_You think too much, Young Master_ , supplies one of his dragons, Raikou. Hanzo snorts which draws a confused glance from the cowboy that he merely waves away. _I am too old to be called “Young Master” at this point_ , he thinks. Raikou chuckles and for not the first time in his life, Hanzo is glad that he and his dragons do not need to speak verbally to communicate. _When you come to be 3,000 years old as I am, I will not think you so young._

_Especially considering you run from so many things in your life like a child_ , his other dragon, Raimei adds. Hanzo scowls at that and continues eating. _Ah choosing not to answer? Typical._

_Come, sister. Do not patronize him. This… cowboy is certainly perplexing. Our young master is just doing his best_ , Raikou suggests. Hanzo can practically feel the eye roll Raimei gives him.

_Yes and what of Genji and his guardian Kaminari? Is there a reason he should be stubbornly avoiding them?_ Raimei’s voice is cold as she speaks, only leading to strengthen the guilt Hanzo feels.

_ The time is not quite right yet. He will properly reunite with our respective family members in due time. Patience, sister. _

_If you two wouldn’t mind, I would like to eat in peace without having to listen to your bickering for once_ , Hanzo thinks gruffly. Both dragons chuckle, clearly not offended or off put by Hanzo’s attitude as they are well used to it by now.

_ You seemed lonely earlier when talking to that omnic, but alright. We shall leave you be for now. Enjoy your meal, Young Master. I hope drinks with the scruffy one is entertaining enough. _

Hanzo snorts once again and McCree sighs. The annoyed look in his brown eyes tells the archer he should explain, but the other beats him to it. “Talkin’ to your dragon or some Shimada bullshit like that?”

“What?” Hanzo’s wide eyes search the man before him. How did he know?

“Genji’d do the same thing. Just go silent for a while except for some chuckles, gasps, or scoffs every once in a while. I thought he was crazy at first, but then he showed me his dragon and I dang nearly pissed my pants right there. It’d make sense if you had a dragon to talk to too.” Hanzo calms down. Of course. How can he continuously forget that McCree is good friends with Genji? Of course he would know some Shimada family secrets, especially considering how loose Genji was when he was affiliated with the clan. Figures he would be even more loose once outside the clan’s control.

“Something like that, but you are wrong about one thing…” Hanzo waits until he has McCree’s full attention before smirking. He has always been quite proud of this after all. “It is not just one dragon that dwells within me, but two. If anything, I suffer the same as Genji but twice as bad.” At that the cowboy lets out a whistle.

“I don’t envy you one bit. Anyways, hurry up. I got a hankerin’ for some whiskey somethin’ fierce.” Hanzo snorts. He supposes that sentence makes enough sense, but really the gunslinger should know just how ridiculous he sounds. The archer shovels the last few bites of his meal into his mouth and starts rinsing off the dishes he used. As soona s he’s done, McCree is waiting by the door for him. “C’mon. We’re goin’ to a different place today.” Hanzo raises a brow as he follows the cowboy out towards the city.

“Oh? Afraid I might get us kicked out if we go to the same place as last time?” he asks. Mccree laughs—a full belly rolling laugh—and shakes his head.

“What? Nah, it ain’t that. Changin’ things up is the spice o’ life, ya know. It’s no good to keep doin’ the same thing over an’ over again. ‘Sides… it’s a bit of a habit, I suppose, never goin’ to the same place twice in a row. It really ain’t easy to adjust after bein’ on the road for so long.” Hanzo gives a thoughtful hum. He is aware of the large bounty on McCree’s head, but knows nothing about how the man earned it. Regardless, he can at least assume that the past few years, the two of them have been living similar life. Perhaps the cowboy really is just trying to help Hanzo better adjust to Overwatch considering their few similarities.

It doesn’t take the two of them long at all to reach the bar, in fact this one is most likely closer than the one they visited previously. It is rather large too, the bar able to seat more than 20, a couple of tables scattered throughout the room and a large square of tiled floor near the back corner housing various microphones and amps. Perhaps they play live music here from time to time, Hanzo guesses. He and McCree soon find a seat at the bar, and much to Hanzo’s pleasant surprise, he sees sake available among the menu. It is only Ozeki, a rather base brand, but it is sake nonetheless. Perhaps he will not have to resort to tequila this time.

With the bar being as large as it is, it does take the two of them a bit of time to get their drinks. Once it does come though, Hanzo savors the smooth, familiar sting of sake sliding down his throat. He lets out a satisfied gulp of air and smiles at the small sake cup in his hand. Finding sake in Spain so far has proven difficult. It is good to know he can come here when the supplies in his gourds run out—which is a time growing very near sadly.

“Thought you might like it here. Genji said the sake here’s good,” McCree murmurs over his glass of whiskey. Hanzo’s good mood instantly drops.

“You asked my brother where there is a suitable place to take me drinking?” His hands find the counter top, but the cowboy simple shrugs in surrender.

“Figured it couldn’t hurt. I didn’t really take ya as much of a tequila guy, and I’m glad to know I was right. Ain’t nothin’ wrong in lettin’ ya drink what ya want, is there?” Though his face is calm, there’s a spark of challenge in those brown eyes. Challenge? No, but a spark of some kind of anticipation. So he is still looking for information.

“Just know that there is no need for this kind of consideration in the future. I will make due with what I have. I always have.” The last few words are a whisper, but based off of the frown on the cowboy’s face, Hanzo knows it was heard.

“That just don’t make sense to em, Hanzo. You let lotsa people shit all over you, and for what? Cause you hurt Genji all those years ago?” There is an anger to his voice that Hanzo cannot pinpoint the source of. Regardless, it is there. As is the conversation he feared was going to happen. He sighs and leans on one hand. Calloused fingers pick up the small sake cup again. His dark eyes inspect the glass before bringing it to his lips for a drink.

“I do not expect you or most of Overwatch to understand. This is not because I think you a fool or anything but rather… it is a difference in culture.”

“Try me, cause I sure as hell won’t get it ‘less you explain it to me anyways.” Hanzo sighs and gulps the rest of his sake. He goes to pour himself another cup from the tall bottle supplied to him, but he doesn’t bring the next cup to his lips, yet.

“In Japan, taking responsibility for one’s crime is important, has been for ages all the way back to before the Heian period. There’s a reason the words ‘seppuku’ and ‘harakiri’ are known throughout the West too.” Though he can tell McCree doesn’t understand where he is taking this, he does have the gunslinger’s attention at least. Perhaps trying his best to explain will amount to something. Perhaps the cowboy will finally leave him alone once he understands.

“Paying for your own misdeeds is crucial to restoring your honor, for your spirit to not be bogged down by regrets when you die. That belief was only strengthened by my family, the amount of pinkies I saw cut off to repay my father… Even as a child though, before I knew of my family’s business, I always thought it was the just thing to do. There was a story I had read when I was younger. A samurai was sent to investigate a merchant for rumors of a planned rebellion, and in his investigations, he accidentally killed the man’s wife only to learn that they were both innocent. Overcome with grief, he turns himself into the merchant and asks for him to kill him in return for the life he stole.”

“Sounds pretty morbid, not gonna lie. And you read this as a kid?” To that, Hanzo smiles and finally drinks more sake. The burn is there, but it cannot take away from the truth starting to sting his eyes.

“More or less. Perhaps I was in middle school. Regardless, that is not how the story ends. See, the merchant denied his request. I remember telling genji about this and he thought the merchant was a kind man for not wanting to kill the samurai, but I saw it differently. Through death, the samurai could retain his title and honor. The merchant denied him that death so the samurai was forced to wander the lands, disgraced and untrusted by all he met due to his crimes. Death would have just been an easy escape. Living with the guilt and all of the misfortune that comes with it, that is the truer punishment for such a horrible crime.” There is a moment of silence before McCree’s eyes widen.

“Wait. You ain’t possibly-”

“Yes. I think such a fate is all that awaits me. You asked why I let everyone think poorly of me. It is because I deserve it. To be honest, I almost killed myself that night ten years ago, but I thought that in doing so I would have just been running from my guilt.”

“But Hanzo, it don’t gotta be that way.”

“You almost sound sad, McCree. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you don’t want me to die despite death being all that awaits me.” Hanzo pours himself another drink but is startled by the force of the cowboy slamming his cup down on the counter.

“Cause you’re just givin’ up when there’s more you could do!” McCree’s anger is a surprise. What reason would he have to be angry. It is not his life that was made forfeit years ago nor is it for him that Hanzo’s life is offered to in penance. The archer just blinks.

“This is not giving up. It is not as though I wish to die. I just understand that this… my guilt, Genji’s pain, all of it will only end with my death, be it at Genji’s hand or that of one of Overwatch’s enemies. Despite everything wrong… I do still enjoy living, so I will make the most of what I have left. But my life belongs to Genji and I will spend it however he asks me to. He asked me to join Overwatch and give them my services, so I will do that. So long as I am here and able, Genji should not suffer under Overwatch’s banner.”

The American slumps down in his seat. If anything, Hanzo would say that he looks almost defeated. It is quite ironic to see Jesse McCree, the man who had wanted him dead upon their first meeting, saddened by the truth of Hanzo’s situation. The archer scoffs into his drink and calmly pours another. Though the conversation did get rather emotional, he feels oddly calmed by having finally spoken and explained himself to someone. Rather, it looks like McCree is the one who regrets their conversation.

“I knew that if I had come to drink with you, something like this would happen. I just thought that I would be the one feeling as you do now instead. It is quite odd…” McCree just shakes his head.

“Ya can’t just say shit like that…” Hanzo has to try hard to hear him his voice is so soft, but the words are not lost on him. The archer just shakes his head.

“I have said nothing but the truth. If you did not want to know then perhaps you should not have asked.”

“That ain’t no truth! It’s just you bein’ a stubbon asshole! You’re so goddamn stubborn that ya can’t even see how what you think is the truth is really just a buncha bullshit that’s hurtin’ Genji and everyone else around you for no goddamn reason!” The anger is back. McCree’s nostrils are flaring and his hand is gripping the glass so tightly he can almost hear the cup scream in protest. Hanzo shakes his head.

“I knew you would not understand, but that is alright. I know the truth and so does Genji. I’m sure he also knows what I am thinking and is just trying to debate the best way to dispose of me.” McCree has never looked at Hanzo so quickly before. The archer is stunned into silence at the sight of the man. His amber brown eyes waver and glisten with a moistness while is mouth is pulled down into a pained frown. His brows are scrunched just so that the man really does look every bit of his age and then some.

“No, you’re the one who doesn’t understand, Hanzo…”

With just those words, the cowboy stands and moves towards the end of the counter to pay. It is only a minute more before the bell above the door rings to signal his departure. Hanzo frowns into his remaining sake and downs it all. That had gone about as well as he thought it might.

_But perhaps the foolish American has a point, Young Master_ , says Raikou, ever persistent.

_Not everything is as black and white as you make it seem. Take it from us who have been around millennia to learn so_ , offers Raimei. Hanzo just snorts into his sake, feeling perhaps more empty than he should. Maybe there is something to having someone around when drinking that makes it more satisfying, regardless of the company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so a couple of logistic things: that play Hanzo is talking about is real. I also had to read it for school though I really can't remember the name of it. That story just stuck with me because I love that struggle between good and bad and making things right (which is why I love Hanzo) and thought it'd be cool to incorporate it here. Second: Hanzo's dragon's names are Thunder (Raimei) and Lightning (Raikou) and Genji's (Kaminari) is also lightning but more like a god of lightning than generic lightning. Third: The pinky thing happens in Japan, specifically with the yakuza. It's called yubitsume and is basically a way to show that you're beneath the yakuza boss to give it a huuuuuuuuge quick summary that gives no detail lol. 
> 
> Anyways, there's gonna be just a couple more introductions before new characters cool down and the plot heats up and thickens. And lemme tell you, you're probably gonna be surprised by a few things, so look forward to the next couple of chapters! Hopefully I'll have them out soon~


	7. Negotiations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo is on a mission with Angela, Lena, and McCree to negotiate a new ally onto their team, but is that the only kind of negotiating that will happen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Look who's updating the next chapter at a reasonable time after the last chapter for once. That's right, it's me. But also I kinda cheated. I've been looking forward to this chapter the most since I started this fic basically, so I was super excited to write it. I will have to warn you though: it's a little centered on one character that's not Hanzo. He kinda just observes, but it's still a good chapter I promise!
> 
> Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter~
> 
> Note: most italics in this chapter are to show the use of a different language.

“Ah! Finally! We have arrived in Busan, South Korea! Make sure you have everything on your way out, luvs!” Hanzo winces at Lena’s bright and chipper voice. The flight was as long as he had expected, but it didn’t make it any easier on him or anyone else. It seems everyone else is more than just a little groggy from the nine hour flight. Angela lets out a yawn and tries to press wrinkles out of her lavender button up shirt as she starts to gather her luggage. McCree jolts awake at the announcement, looking around in a daze before just falling over and letting his head hit the bag in the seat next to him. Hanzo snorts, pulling his bag and cello case with Stormbow inside closer as the plane settled into its landing.

Soon, the door is lowered and Hanzo can see that Lena landed them near one of the smaller inlets close to the mainland where the city is. Seems like the plan is to use a boat from this small inlet to proceed. With the door open, everyone starts to move. Angela hefts her bag on her shoulder and walks out into the bright sunlight. McCree eventually shuffles to his feet and holds out a hand towards Lena who appears right next to him.

“Haha, are you doing alright there, luv?” Lena asks, a playful smile on her face. The man groans and rubs his face.

“Just a bit tired. Flyin’ was never really my thing and I didn’t get much sleep last night either. I’ll be fine once I get some coffee in me though,” the man says. Hanzo shakes his head. They all knew the mission was coming and yet the cowboy just didn’t prepare properly. How foolish.

Hanzo joins the others on the small inlet and they all look around at each other while Angela fiddles with her comms device. The cool breeze coming from the sea is a bit too chilly for Hanzo’s yellow T-shirt. They had wanted to blend in as much as possible, so everyone dressed very casually, but the archer wishes he had brought his windbreaker just for the breezes that come by. Angela looks almost the same as always just as Lena with only thick, baggy shirts to conceal her chronal accelerator. McCree looks the most different without his hat, serape and boots. Hanzo had half expected him to show up still in some other country wear like flannel and jeans, but is surprised to see him in an old red shirt, black leather jacket, and dark pants. It is a very subtle look and it suits him somehow.

Angela sighs, gathering everyone’s attention as she turns away from her comms device. “According to what we know, because there was a big attack recently, most of the squad is still out on medical leave. There is still one person we can talk to and try to recruit, and we should consider ourselves lucky because this one is just who Winston wanted us to recruit. Let’s hope all goes well, shall we?” The blonde smiles and everyone nods. The boat they will use to get off the inlet and head towards their destination isn’t far. As they board and Lena starts up the boat—please, a boat is hardly different than a plane, she had said—Hanzo thinks back to their briefing.

* * *

“It seems an opportunity has shown itself while things in Rio were settling down,” Winston states, rather pleased. All he received was curious stares, so he pulled up a holo-vid and continued as a news segment started playing. “It seems like there is another new kind of military force in South Korea that was created to fight the omnics there. The squad is called MEKA and has a lot of similarities to the Crusaders in Germany. It looks like they’re getting a little overwhelmed right now, so I thought this is a good chance to enter into some sort of agreement for both of us. Not only will we get a new member to the ranks, but this will be a government recognizing the efforts of this new Overwatch. We’ll have an ally should we become scrutinized under the Petras Act. Now, the entire team is great, but I think we’d benefit the most if we recruit this one in particular.”

The holo-vid screen changes to the image of a girl that should be around college age in a blue jumpsuit, standing in front of a pink robot. Lúcio jumped out of his seat with a shocked gasp, a finger pointing to the screen. “No way! That’s the esports champ D.Va! I used to watch her streams all the time! She fights for the South Korean government now?” Even Reinhardt perked up after hearing that before coughing awkwardly to cover his embarrassment.

Winston chuckled. “Yes, her and four other popular esports champs make up the MEKA squad. Apparently, their talent in video games allows them to pilot these machines with unparalleled skills. It’d be great if we could recruit any of the five of them, but with D.Va being as popular as she is, if Overwatch were to enter the media, it would be nice to have someone to balance out the negative things that could be said about us.”

* * *

That was as much information as Hanzo had gotten out of that briefing, or perhaps it was all the information he could understand. Video games had always been Genji’s thing after all. Hanzo just stood behind him at every game in the arcade and asked when they could go home. He didn’t really understand how using a game controller well allowed these teenagers to be the best at piloting military technology, but they do obviously have skill if they’re able to keep South Korea and the city of Busan safe.

Hanzo can already see the base of operations for the MEKA squad. It really stands out regardless of where you see it the way it stands above the water on thick pillars. Dark plexiglass covers most of the base, giving those inside a good view of what is happening around the city and over the water. Hanzo can see the practicality in it and appreciates whoever designed the building. Lena takes the boat around to the front of the building, and from here Hanzo can see what seems to be a launch pad for the mechs as well as a lift for those entering by boat. A yellow banner flies on each side of the opening in the middle reading “Busan” in Hangul. The boat slowly approaches the small dock near the lift of the base. Once the boat steadies itself, Angela steps forward and presses a call button.

“Excuse me? Is it possible to come inside? We want to have a chat with you all.” Angela releases the button and waits. Hanzo can hear a bit of chatter in Korean on the other side, but it’s too muffled for him to make out any sort of conversation. Eventually, the intercom beeps—perhaps someone pressed the button on that side—and a young man’s voice sounds out.

“Uh… So-sorry! No pictures please! No come in!” Hanzo winces. The poor kid must not have been the best English student. He can see Angela frown and prepare to try again, but Hanzo steps forward.

“Wait, let me, just for right now.” Angela thinks for a moment but ultimately steps away to give Hanzo room. The archer steps forward and presses the button. It has been a while since he last spoke in Korean, but he remembers it better than Dutch. “I _apologize, but we are not tourists. We are here on business and want to speak to the commanding officer as well as everyone on base about something._ ” He can feel the stares of everyone on the boat, but what matters to him most is the heavy sigh of relief on the other side of the intercom.

“ _You can speak Korean? That’s a big help thank you! But uh… I uh… Just hold on a minute okay? I can’t really let you on the base, so I’m going to go talk to the others and see what they decide._ ” Hanzo nods and turns to the others.

“He said he can’t let us up, but he’s going to talk to someone who can.” Everyone sits back in relief.

“Well ain’t that a breath of fresh air. Had no clue you could speak Korean like that, Hanzo. Where’d ya learn it?” McCree asks as the archer sits back down. Hanzo just frowns.

“Well… It was required for Genji and I to learn for our family business as we had many partners out here and business to do. I accompanied my father on a few business trips through South Korea too. I think we came to Busan a couple of times, but I don’t remember much about my time here.”

“Oh,” sighs Lena disappointedly. Hanzo feels irritation knit his brows together, but he says nothing. Where he attained these skills might be less than satisfactory, but the fact that he is putting them to much better uses now should speak for itself. An awkward silence envelops the boat. Lena continuously sends cursory glances over the archer, each glance filled with judgement. Angela sighs and looks out over the sea, watching some birds flutter about. McCree seems too distracted by his comms to notice the awkwardness in the air.

Hanzo is finally saved from the awkward silence as the lift starts with a mechanical whirr. He can see the circular disc lower down the shaft before finally stopping on the deck before them. A young boy in some sort of mechanic’s outfit and short brown hair waves at them nervously. He must be the boy Hanzo spoke with over the intercom.

“Um… Come! Come! We go in…” The boy swung his hands inwards repeatedly, inviting them onto the dock. The boat sways a bit in the water as everyone stands and moves to exit the boat. Soon, the five of them are situated on the circular platform and the boy presses a button. As the platform raises, the boy looks around sheepishly. “ _Uh… Who was it that could speak Korean?_ ”

Hanzo clears his throat and raises his hand. “ _It was me._ ”

“ _Okay, cool. Uh, sorry but my English isn’t very good. It would probably be better for you to translate to everyone for now. The others on the base can speak English well, so it’s just for now._ ” Hanzo nods and the boy sighs again. “ _Okay, cool. So uh, with the recent attacks and everything, there aren’t very many people here. It’s just me, one of our MEKA pilots, and the commanding officer Myung. I know you said you wanted to talk to everyone, but those are the only people here. Is that okay?_ ”

Hanzo looks to the group and summarizes what the boy said. Angela nods, so he turns back to the boy. “Yes, that’s fine.”

“ _Okay, cool. Uh… who did you want to talk to first? Our pilot is kinda… not willing to see many people right now, and though our Captain Myung is allowing you guys in, it’ll still be a while before she can talk to you. You might just have to end up waiting… What will you do?_ ”

Hanzo once again relays the information to the others. Angela and Lena look to each other to deliberate before the doctor turns to him. “I think we might have a better chance of recruitment if we go ahead and talk to the pilot now. It might be easier to convince the commanding officer if one of her soldiers already agrees.”

“Very well,” Hanzo says and lets the boy know their plans. The boy shifts awkwardly when Hanzo’s finished, but nods.

“ _Okay, just, uh… Look, this is a really complicated situation, but you can’t tell anyone what you see here, okay? Even about the people here._ ” Hanzo is about to ask for clarification when they finally reach the inside of the base. The boy leads them to the left and down a long hallway until they reach an area that is labeled “workshop” in Korean. He opens the door and immediately looks to the right where a large machine is currently being worked on. “ _Hey, Hana… Those guys that came said they wanna talk to you first._ ”

As they all enter the room, Hanzo can finally see the girl Winston wants to recruit. She looks even younger in person, her frame thin and small. She sits on top of an unfinished MEKA, a wrench in her right hand. Her left arm and leg are in casts with various signatures on it. A closer look reveals some sort of brace on her right arm as well. So the news report had lied when it said that she came out of that last fight uninjured.

“ _Daehyun, why would they want to talk to me? Are you sure they didn’t want Captain Myung instead?_ ” the girl asks. Regardless of her doubts, she grabs a nearby crutch with her right hand and slowly and carefully slid down the machine’s body to the floor. The boy helps her into a seat and rolls it closer to the group. Hanzo notices the girl’s eyes flash to him with recognition for a moment before looking over the rest of the group. “So I hear you guys wanna talk to me? Well, go ahead. I’m all ears.” Hanzo blinks. Her English is much better than the boy’s. At least he doesn’t have to translate anymore.

Angela takes a step forward while everyone watches. It was already agreed that the doctor would do most of the negotiating as she has lots of diplomatic experience considering her work with Overwatch before the fall. “Hello, Hana Song, right? My name is Doctor Angela Ziegler, and I work with Overwatch.”

The girl laughs. “Overwatch?! Ha! You should come up with a better lie than that. Overwatch got disbanded years ago, and even if they came back, they’d be illegal.” She keeps laughing until she see just how serious the four of them are. Soon, her face falls into one of disbelief. “Wait, you’re serious?”

“Yes, we really are Overwatch. We’re here because we wanted to enter an agreement and have you join us. If we can get you to agree, you will be a member of the newly formed Overwatch, and we at Overwatch will promise to send aid to the South Korean government in their fight against the omnics,” Angela explains. Hana looks away, thinking on those words. Hanzo hears the boy ask what’s going on only for Hana to explain to him in Korean.

“ _Isn’t that amazing?! This is Overwatch, Hana! You can’t do much better than that. You could finally get a break and live that life of glitz and glamour everyone already thinks you’re living!_ ” he says. There’s a large smile on his face and his eyes are incredulous. Hana simply frowns and nods her head towards Hanzo.

“ _It would be nice, but look at him. Don’t you recognize him, Daehyun? He’s the reason my dad was always in debt. He’s from the yakuza in Japan,_ ” she responds in Korean, unaware that Hanzo can understand them. The boy awkwardly chuckles, knowing that the archer had heard everything.

“ _I mean… I guess… but, look, isn’t that Tracer? Didn’t you used to look up to her?_ ” the boy tries. Hana just sighs.

“ _Yeah, she’s Overwatch, but I doubt the organization would just let him in randomly. They have to know who he is. Besides, if I leave, what about the rest of the squad? I won’t be here anymore to fight with them._ ” Hana puts her head in her right hand, a lost look in her eyes. For a moment, Hanzo knows that she’s reliving a different time. It isn’t until Daehyun puts a hand on her shoulder that she returns to the present.

“ _The team will be fine. They’re just that, a team. Remember what I told you? You can’t always put everything on yourself. Besides, if what you said is true, then joining them will be helping the team. Overwatch will help out the MEKA squad and then the Gwisin won’t even stand a chance!_ ” Daehyun moves to kneel in front of her chair. He gives her a sympathetic smile. “ _Imagine how many more people you could help save if you joined Overwatch._ ”

Angela and the others are looking to Hanzo to translate, but he just shakes his head for now. He will let the two talk it out. Hana will ask Angela in English if there’s any information she needs, and should it really come down to negotiating, then Hanzo can let them know what the two are talking about.

Eventually, Hana sighs and glares at Hanzo. “Fine, I’ll accept that you’re Overwatch, but I want you to answer a question for me.” She points to him with her right hand and musters as much hatred as she can behind one glare. “Why the hell do you have someone who lead the yakuza in your group?”

Everyone looks to Hanzo who stands his ground. Angela looks at the ground and rubs the back of her neck. Lena puts her hands on her hips and huffs indignantly. Surprisingly, McCree is the one who comes forward to talk. “Look, I know what he was, but he ain’t all that bad. He’s actually saved my life before too. I know it might be a lot to ask, but can’t ya overlook it?”

“Overlook it?” Hana snorts. “We were in debt my entire childhood because of his and his clan. If not for him, I could’ve had a normal childhood! If you want me to work with him, he should at least apologize! And not just to me, but for all of the people in South Korea who suffered because of his greed.” Hanzo sighs. He had thought it might come down to this. McCree takes another step forward, his hands held out.

“Now hold on a minute! I-”

“McCree.” Hanzo gives the cowboy a small shake of his head. “It’s okay. She’s right.” The archer takes a deep breath. Honestly, he’s never done something like this before in his life, but he refuses to be the reason why this negotiation fails. He sinks slowly to his knees and puts his hands on the floor. He hears Hana gasp in surprise and whisper something, but he doesn’t care what it is. Finally, he lowers his head to the floor and starts to speak again. 

“ _Miss Song,_ ” he starts in Korean. “ _For years, I let my greed and pride blind me from the horrible deeds I was doing. I have caused you and many people in South Korea much hardship because of my actions. I deeply apologize._ ”

There’s a palpable silence that hangs in the air. Hanzo doesn’t dare lift his head. He can feel embarrassment start to creep up on him. Eventually, laughter fills the room, causing his head to snap up. Hana is nearly in tears due to her laughter, her hands on her stomach and good leg thrashing about. 

“Oh my god! I can’t believe he did it! That was too good!” She turns to the boy and wipes a tear from her eyes. “ _Daehyun, please tell me you got a good shot of that!_ ” she says in Korean. The boy smirks and holds out a thumbs up.

“ _All perfectly on camera. Good thinking, Hana._ ” The boy laughs too. Hanzo stands and growls, but it has no effect on the teenagers due to the embarrassed flush on his face. Now that he looks, he can see Lena laughing too, a hand on her stomach. Angela seems collected, but with just one look, her composure breaks and she starts giggling as well. Hanzo frowns and and patiently waits out the laughter. He can’t believe this. Humiliated by a 19 year old girl. What would Genji say?

_Genji would probably laugh too, Young Master,_ Raikou chuckles. Hanzo doesn’t even need to ask to be able to hear Raimei’s laughter. Surprisingly, the only one not laughing is McCree, but even the cowboy looks a bit guilty.

Eventually, Angela recomposes himself and brings attention to her again with a wave of her hand. “Alright, now that all jests are out of the way, can we go back to talking?” The laughter in the room dies down and the seriousness returns to Hana’s eyes. “If you aren’t convinced, we can give you more details of what an agreement between our organizations would mean. For what MEKA could do for Overwatch, all we want is for one member of the squad to join Overwatch and help us with our missions globally. The member would be free to come back for any reports, missions, checkups, and whatever else there might be. We would like that member to join us to be you, Miss Song. We appreciate your skill and the charisma you carry. We think it could help us greatly, but also it wouldn’t be for nothing. We have very advanced medical technology and could help you get back on the field faster.”

Hana fidgets slightly at the mention of healing faster, but looks away and hums to appear undecided. Eventually she looks back to Angela. “And for Overwatch? What would you do to help MEKA out? There’s only five of us, so taking even just one will leave MEKA worse off.”

“Well, we will offer MEKA the chance to work with our equipment to help with analyzing and studying the Gwisin omnics. We’ll also help fund and send supplies to make up for the extra ammunition that will be used to make up for the missing member. Also, like the MEKA agent who joins Overwatch will be free to return for any missions, we hope that MEKA would take the opportunity to call upon our agents for help as well. We offer all of our agents to MEKA’s disposal within reason. It won’t do for all of our agents to be here at once after all.”

“Plus, we’ve got real fast planes to cut down on travel time and ace pilots like myself to make for smooth sailing every time!” Lena adds. Angela nods and smiles at Hana once more.

“Now you understand where we’re coming from. Entering an agreement like this would certainly help both of us out. We’d like for you to think about it while we talk with everyone else… Which I suppose is just your commanding officer,” Angela sighs.

Hana nods numbly. Her face is twisted in her concentration. Hanzo is about to inform the boy that he needs to take them to their commanding officer when an older woman walks into the room. She’s wearing a military uniform decked out with many medals that he has no doubt that this is the commanding officer. Her greying black hair speaks of the wisdom she carries about her. The woman looks over the group of Overwatch agents before bowing her head slightly in greeting.

“Hello, I am Captain Myung. Welcome to our MEKA base. I take it you’ve already met my star pilot, Hana.” The young girl’s eyes darken for a moment before she turns towards the windows for some solitude. “What can I help you with today? I wasn’t aware Overwatch had come back together.”

“It is a recent thing, Captain. We are still getting our bearings. What we wanted to talk to you about is-”

“You want to make an agreement with us so that when Overwatch gets recognized by the world again, you’ll have someone to support you through the media outlash, right?” The woman smiles, a hint of a knowing look in her eyes. She chuckles and makes her way closer to the group. Daehyun backs away as she passes him, straightening up into a real soldier’s stance. She holds out a hand which Angela quickly takes within her own. “I must admit, our team is rather small. I had been hoping to get more firepower. Depending on what you think you can offer us, I might entertain the idea of agreeing to working together.”

Angela smiles and moves closer to the woman. “Well then, in that case, let’s discuss what kind of deal can be made in more detail, shall we? We have several ideas that could benefit the both of us, and we’re quite ready to meet any requests you might have.” The two women turn towards the back exit and start leaving the room. “I suppose I should start by telling you all about…” Everyone watches the two leave as the doctor’s voice floats out of hearing range.

Satisfied with the knowledge that they all have free time now, Lena blinks away to tour the base, much to Daehyun’s weariness. McCree starts whistling and finds things to busy himself in the small workshop they’re currently in. Hana motions to Daehyun who wheels her back over to the large machine she was working on. It takes a bit of finesse, but the girl makes her way back to the top of the machine and keeps working. Daehyun watches her, eyes full of concern.

“ _Hana… You’re pushing yourself too hard again. Please, at least tell me what you’re thinking this time,_ ” Daehyun insists, once again speaking Korean. McCree glances over curiously before deciding it’s not worth the confusion of the language barrier. Hanzo however, sits on the chair by the large computer console, keeping an ear on the two youngest in the room.

“ _Not now, Daehyun. I need to get this MEKA back up to speed for when the rest of the squad comes back. Their mechs are already almost done, and thanks to that attack, I’m working from scratch again. I can’t be the only one on the team without a mech for the next upcoming fight,_ ” she sighs. A few of her words are strained from the effort of tightening bolts. There’s some awkward clanging noises, no doubt from trying to do work in her condition.

“ _Yeah… But what if Captain Myung agrees to this and you can join Overwatch? Then you can take your time. You can recover before you even have to work on your MEKA again._ ” Daehyun paces around the girl, eyes flickering up to her every so often just to make sure she doesn’t hurt herself. Hana groans and sits upright, her free hand going to her hip.

“ _And just what makes you think that she’ll agree to this? She could say no and then I’ll have wasted time for nothing. You should know from the last attack, the Gwisin won’t wait for us before they attack again._ ” The discontent that laces her voice makes even Hanzo unsteady, but instead of backing down, Daehyun stares right at the girl, a fire in his eyes.

“ _And you should know from the last attack that you can’t do everything on your own._ ” Whatever those words might mean, it strikes a chord in Hana. She pauses, her face softening with guilt. Seeing the sadness in his friend, Daehyun sighs and looks away. He rubs the back of his neck with his hand and shrugs with his other shoulder. “ _If Captain Myung does accept the deal, I really do think you should go to Overwatch. It’d be good for you, really. You could do all that you do now without the same pressure. The media wouldn’t be spreading lies about how perfect you are, so you won’t have to be perfect anymore. You could take it easy a little._ ”

“ _The media is only doing that because someone has to bring hope to the people. I wish I knew why they chose me out of the whole squad, but… Now that I am the one who’s been chosen, I can’t let everyone down._ ” The vulnerability in Hana’s voice alarms Hanzo. He turns to look finding that same far off look in her eyes. Daehyun folds his arms over his chest.

“ _And what makes you think that joining Overwatch will be letting everyone down?_ ”

Hana pauses. She shakes her head and closes her eyes almost as if grimacing. “ _I’ll be leaving everyone behind. I’ll be too far away to help everyone when they need it most. What if the Gwisin come back when I’m on a mission halfway across the world? Who will help the squad then?_ ”

“ _Overwatch will. They’ll send-_ ”

“ _People who will take hours to get here? What if they don’t have the time to wait that long?! Then South Korea will fall and it will be all my fault!_ ”

Hanzo stands abruptly, bringing everyone’s attention to him. He walks towards the girl and offers him his left arm. She blinks, confused by his actions, but eventually accepts his hand. The archer closes his eyes and calls upon his dragons, hoping that they can do for Hana what they have done for Genji many times in the past.

“ _Hush little flower. Let the dragons prey upon the demons that plague your mind,_ ” he offers in Korean.

“Wait, you knew Korean?!” She shouts before gasping. He can feel the dragons within him connecting with Hana, understanding her fears. The connection brings him all her sorrow and loss, the destruction brought about by the omnics claiming many lives, almost claiming her own. Whispers in her mind tell of the expectations placed upon her, the flawless hero of South Korea who lives the perfect life overshadowing the reality she lives in. Hanzo feels it all as the dragons try to soothe her worries if only a bit.  There is no telling how long he stands like this. The dragons in their long lives have a way of making time feel obsolete. Hanzo does not pull away until he can feel Hana’s burden lighten. Slowly the connection weakens before breaking altogether. He recoils slightly, weakened by the usage of such an ability after such a long time. When he opens his eyes, Hana’s are wide and wet with unshed tears. She stares at him in awe, mouth open.

“What… What did you do?” she asks softly. Hanzo smiles and shakes his head.

“The dragons of the Shimada clan are more than just stories. They protect us and those we see as allies. I simply asked them to help with what burdens you, little flower.” Daehyun steps forward, puffing his chest out protectively. Hana’s snort above them brings both men’s attention to her instead.

“ _Daehyun, please, I’m fine._ Also, cut it out with that little flower stuff. It’s hella weird.” Her voice is much lighter and slightly teasing. Hanzo can see the relief it brings the boy so he just chuckles.

“My apologies. It’s just that your name, Hana… It means flower in Japanese. I think a name such as that suits you.”

“Weirdo,” she laughs. Any tension that had been in the room disappears. Hanzo, satisfied with his work, sits back over by the computer console once again. McCree sidles up next to him as the two Koreans chatter back and forth again. He originally pays the cowboy no mind, pleased to watch the two young adults interact, but the cowboy’s presence has never been an easy one to ignore.

“Yes, McCree?”

The gunslinger stiffens like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He chuckles and tries to nonchalantly lean against the console. “Well I was just wonderin’... What did you do to her? I mean, she was wound up tighter ‘n a ball o’ yarn, and now she seems rather… relaxed.”

“Yes, well, that is the power of the dragons, not my own. The dragons feed off of our emotions. Genji and I often call upon our rage in battle or desperation to protect ourselves or loved ones. The dragons can be known to bolster in other conditions as well. I used to let them drain away Genji’s fears and worries when we were younger. I think I even cured him of his fear of the dark that way.” Hanzo chuckles at the memory of the nine-year old Genji shakily holding onto him as the dragons chased away the Betobeto that lived in his mind. McCree barks out a laugh himself.

“Genji? Scared o’ the dark? Now that’s somethin’ I’d pay to see.”

“Yes, it was quite amusing. I’m glad the dragons have helped me in so many ways… but of course… there are times I wish the dragons had not answered to my emotions…” Hanzo closes his eyes and sees his battle with Genji many years ago. The rage that consumed him then was hardly his own, and the passage of time seemed indiscernible. He has no doubt the dragons fed upon his rage. He has only himself to blame for allowing his emotions to get so out of control. 

McCree must sense Hanzo’s shift in mood as he stands up straight. “Hanzo…”

The clicking of heels on the ground brings everyone’s attention to the doorway. Angela and Captain Myung return, both with smiles on their faces. Currently, they seem to be chatting about tea or some other mundane topic. The archer snaps himself back to the present, prepared to hear the news of the negotiations. When the pair finally reach the center of the room, the Captain speaks up.

“Well, I’m sure we’ve kept you all waiting long enough. I’m pleased to announce that the talk I had with the doctor was very informative and productive. MEKA is officially aligning itself with Overwatch as allies and vice versa. All that remains is to choose a pilot to send.” At this, the woman turns towards Hana. The words that come next are in Korean. “ _Hana, they have requested that you be the one to join them, and I can’t find a reason to say no. You are the pride and joy of this unit, and if anyone can help Overwatch, I’m sure it’s you._ ”

Instead of looking happy, Hana looks close to tears. “ _You want me to leave? But what about everyone else?!_ ”

“ _Oh, you worry too much. They’ll be fine without you. Besides, I’m pretty sure Casino has been eyeing your spot in the limelight for a while now. We can finally all stop listening to his complaining about being beaten out by you._ ” Captain Myung winks at her. Hana just shakes her head.

“ _It’s okay, Hana… You should go… You’ll do great things,_ ” Daehyun encourages. There’s a sad smile on his face regardless of his words that leaves Hana staring at him.

“ _But, Daehyun… What about you?_ ”

The boy shakes his head. “ _Don’t worry about me. You’re always free to come back and visit. Go live your dream. I’ll meet you at the finish line, right?_ ”

Hanzo clears his throat, drawing attention to himself. He makes sure to speak in English for Angela to understand what he means to say. “You mean to say that this young man, Daehyun, is your personal engineer and knows how to operate your MEKA better than most on this base and is an integral part to your fighting abilities? I don’t see a reason why we can’t bring him along too then.” Hana blinks at him.

“Wha-”

Angela hums. “Winston didn’t say anything about not bringing along extra people. If it will help Miss Song fight and help with the upkeep of her MEKA, I don’t see why we can’t bring him either. So are we decided then? Both Miss Song and Mr. Daehyun will be coming with us to Overwatch?”

Hana stares directly at Hanzo who just winks at her. Captain Myung smiles rather smugly from her spot but says nothing at all. Eventually Hana nods eagerly at Angela then turns back to Hanzo. She mouths the words “thank you” before looking at Daehyun. “ _Well Daehyun… I hope you’re ready to finally learn English. For real this time. It won’t due if you can’t talk to everyone at our new base with Overwatch._ ”

Daehyun, who had been in the dark due to his poor English skills, suddenly lights up, a huge smile on his face. “ _Really?! I get to go to Overwatch too?! Yes! Thank you, Hana! Thank you, Hanzo! I can’t wait!_ ” The boy shouts with glee before remembering his manners and bowing to Angela. “Thank you!” he shouts in English before laughing and jumping around the workshop.

Captain Myung laughs and turns to Angela. “Well, now that it’s settled, feel free to accommodate yourself here in our base. I’m sure you’d like to stay hidden from the public eye for a while still, and we have plenty of room. Besides, Daehyun is always looking for a form of entertainment.” The boy who was previously celebrating is now looking around, eyes with with paranoia.

“ _What? I heard my name. What’s going on?_ ” The three in the room who can speak Korean just laugh, embarrassing the poor boy a bit further. “ _No fair! Just watch. I’m gonna learn some other language you guys don’t know and make fun of you behind your backs!_ ”

“Good luck boy. Overwatch agents speak many languages,” Hanzo chuckles. Daehyun just frowns and kicks at the ground. In a blink of blue, Tracer enters the room once more, smiling at the good mood all around.

“Sorry I’m late. What’d I miss?”

* * *

The base surprisingly has many accommodations. Hanzo is surprised by the sheer absurdity of some them—what military base has a purpose for a game room filled with gaming computers that far extend the number of pro gamers on the base?—but also by how well the military treats the MEKA squad. He had heard various rumors about South Korea and the treatment of its youth in the military—yeah that two year draft is still a thing unfortunately, Hana explained—but sees that the government really does cherish this squad of gamers. They really are the heroes of Korea in some way.

After everyone had settled into a room on the base, Hana and Daehyun had insisted on karaoke—which is on base for some reason—which leads Hanzo to his current predicament. He’d been to karaoke before, of course Genji wouldn’t let him get away with not going once or twice, but how could he possibly enjoy himself? Hana sings songs from popular girl groups in South Korea, and though she is slightly off-key, her energetic performance makes up for it as everyone claps along and cheers for her. Daehyun is a bit stiffer, perhaps from nerves, but he sings mostly love songs, staring at Hana the whole time. She just pokes fun at him, but the meaning isn’t lost on the rest of the team. Lena sings classic songs from the 2040s and is a terrible singer, but everyone enjoys it. Angela sings a couple of pop songs from the ‘60s, but McCree refuses to sing on the basis that everyone would make fun of the songs he chooses. Hanzo stares at the mic as if it has just insulted him.

Should he sing? What would he sing? Genji always laughed at him when he tried singing cheery pop songs because they don’t fit his usually serious demeanor. Rock songs are out of the question as it would simply just cause a headache, either by how loud the music is or by the teasing that would ensue from him somewhat enjoying rock music. He could hear it now. “Rock music? That’s so rebel for you!” “Stop trying to be young, old man!” “Should we record this again, Hana?” Hanzo rolls his eyes. That would surely happen. Besides, the room is already cheery enough he thinks as he surveys the room.

Hana and Lena immediately hit it off and are now always chatting when they are not singing. The smile on the younger girl’s face is much more genuine now than before, the dragons obviously having helped her in some way. Daehyun dreamily watches Hana when he isn’t singing or trying to fumble through an awkward conversation in English with Angela who is hard to understand due to her accent or McCree who seems to enjoy teasing the boy by talking with the thickest Southern drawl and using the worst expressions Hanzo hasn’t even heard of before. The room is at peace the way it is, without him, and he is more than fine letting it stay that way.

The endless amount of snacks consisting of bags of nano chips with Hana’s face on the bags and drinks which is mostly nano cola—again, with Hana’s face on the cans—water, or tea is rather unappetizing to the archer. Even McCree glumly sips at his water, occasionally grumbling about the lack of alcohol. Everything about the gettogether is just so… not Hanzo. He feels awkward, out of place even. While Hana starts to sing another pop song, the scion silently excuses himself and leaves the large karaoke room. He wanders the base until he reaches a wall of the plexiglass windows. The archer leans against the handrailing before the window and stares out at the ocean before him.

Night has already fallen, painting the ocean nearly as dark as the sky above. Stars litter the sky increasing in number the further out he looks. The base is still close enough to the city for the light pollution to obscure his vision of closer stars he guesses. A half moon hangs low in the sky, nearly smiling at him. The ocean grants him some peace, reminding him of his overlooks back at the watchpoint. Hanzo can feel his dragons stirring within him, enjoying the calm he’s currently feeling. It has been some time since things have been this peaceful after all. Raimei and Raikou should enjoy it while they can.

Heavy footsteps are all the warning he gets that someone is approaching. Hanzo doesn’t even turn as he’s already sure who it is coming behind him. Sure enough, McCree finds a spot next to him and leans his back against the railing. They stand in silence for a little while, something Hanzo appreciates. He’s used to questions, to the doubt, the animosity the cowboy has shown him before in the past. They both know that this silence is different than McCree ignoring him. The two of them are just peacefully existing near each other for once.

It is a while later, but McCree does finally speak up. “You not one for karaoke? You could’ve said somethin’ if it made you uncomfortable.” Hanzo shakes his head.

“No, it’s fine. Everyone was enjoying themselves. I just simply stepped out for some air is all.” McCree nods beside him and turns to face the vast ocean before them. His forearms rest on the handrail—the connection of his metal prosthetic surprisingly silent on the metal of the handrail—and leans heavily on it.

“Yeah, it does get hot in those tiny lil rooms, don’t it?” McCree chuckles and shakes his head. Soon, he looks up from his perch and stares Hanzo down with a bit of warmth in those brown eyes. “Thanks, Hanzo. You did a lot of good today. I mean it.” The archer huffs and looks away from such an honest gaze.

“I didn’t do much today. Things were a success because of Angela’s negotiations.”

“Sure, Angie did some good talkin’ today, but you’re the reason we got Hana to join our team. You’re probably the reason she’s actually enjoyin’ herself right now.” The cowboy leans over and nudges Hanzo with his shoulder. “Despite you tryin’ to act all bad, you’re really a good guy, ya know that? I meant it when I said it earlier, and I mean it now. I’m… real sorry I gave ya a hard time… back when we first met.” The smooth voice softens with guilt and strikes a chord within the archer. He isn’t sure what it is, but there’s just something about the voice that’s just so disarming. Even still…

“I do not blame you, McCree. You were only doing that you thought was right… What I think is still right, but I can’t seem to convince you otherwise. I don’t think I could every consider myself a good person.” Hanzo closes his eyes, all of his past mistakes showing themselves.

“Hey, even good people can do bad things sometimes. Doesn’t make ‘em any less good. You’re tryin’ your best. That’s enough to speak for ya I think.” The archer just shakes his head.

“But even bad people can do good things by that logic.”

“Yeah, that’s true, but trust me. I’ve run into a buncha different lowlives in my years, and you ain’t one of ‘em. I just… When I came to Overwatch, I was still debatin’ whether or not I wanted to come. When I left it, I was mighty mad at more than a few people in the organization. But then, Genji called me an’ told me you were comin’. That made my decision for me. I lost lotsa people I care ‘bout, an’ I just didn’t wanna lose anyone else.” McCree straightens back up and completely faces Hanzo now. The archer looks up curiously. This is the first time the other man has really said anything about himself. “It was real stubborn o’ me, I admit, but I just didn’t wanna lose Genji. I wanted to protect him like I failed to do in the past, but now I realize, Genji’s fine. You really don’t wanna hurt him at all, so now I think I can do the next best thing.” Silence follows, causing Hanzo to raise a brow in question.

“And what might that be?” he asks, taking the bait. McCree just smiles.

“Well, I figured if I can’t protect Genji, I can probably at least try to protect you. You’re important to him, and I’d be lyin’ if I said after all this time I don’t wanna be friends with you.” Hanzo blinks.

“What?” He snorts and looks away in disbelief. “You think I need to be protected? What could you possibly protect me from?”

“I reckon I can prob’ly help protect you from yourself. Seems to me like you’re your own worst enemy, so I’ll stand in your corner and help ya fight.” McCree smiles and the archer loses his breath for a moment. His dragons swell with some overwhelmingly positive emotion that Hanzo is stunned into silence. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he looks back to the ocean and shakes his head.

“You really are a foolish man,” he mumbles. McCree just laughs.

“Well, partner, I’ll be a fool any day if it gets ya to enjoy yourself for once. I might not have that fancy dragon magic o’ yours, but I’ll figure somethin’ out.” The warmth in the smooth drawl and the bubbling laughter are rather contagious as Hanzo finds himself warming slightly from the inside. Though small, a smile creeps onto his lips as he shakes his head.

“Heeeeey! McCree! Come on! It’s your turn, and you promised you’d sing a duet with me!” Hana’s voice is heard clearly despite the distance from the karaoke room. Said cowboy sighs as Hanzo gives him a small smile.

“You should head back to the others. It seems your presence is being requested.”

“I will… Hanzo? You should come back soon too, alright? You’re part of the team after all. Everyone’d love to have you there.” Hanzo stares into those pleading brown eyes and finds that he can’t really say no. He sighs and nods.

“Yes, I’m just getting some air, remember? I will be there. Now go.”

“Alright, alright. I’m goin’...” McCree turns to leave, but before he’s even just a few steps away, he turns back. “See ya soon?” Hanzo just nods and chuckles as the cowboy leaves with a large smile on his face. Perhaps McCree isn’t as bad as he thought… but he hardly deserves his friendship.

An overly dramatic sigh pulls Hanzo from the peace. “I thought he’d _never_ leave.”

Hanzo turns to find a woman standing not too far away. She must have come from the hall behind her, a feat considering he hadn’t even heard the clacking of her heels. Her skin seems dark, but he thinks it could just be a trick of the shadow sinec the lights in this part of the base aren’t turned on. The gun on her back suggests it’s a sniper rifle, so if she had wanted him dead, he would be already and no one else would know. Knowing defeat when it is here, he cautiously faces the woman. Stormbow is in the room he is using on base, so if he were to fight, it would have to be hand-to-hand.

“Who are you? How did you get on this base?” he asks. She definitely is not part of the crew on base. He would have remembered seeing her somewhere otherwise. She rolls her eyes and steps forward, revealing her blue skin in the moonlight.

“Talon works in mysterious ways. I was originally here for the girl. Imagine the heartbreak of South Korea’s hero dead in the night. Who would protect everyone then?” Hanzo stiffens. It’s a bluff. It has to be. He would know if Hana were dead. She’s surrounded by the team, and he just heard her. No, this woman must want something else. Sensing his turmoil, she chuckles darkly. “Don’t worry, she’s safe… for now. My orders changed when I saw you, after all.”

“So then why haven’t you killed me?” The woman tuts at him and shakes a finger.

“That wouldn’t do us any good, _Monsieur_ Shimada.” As she nears him, she puts her finger to his lips. Hanzo stands his ground, staring the woman down. “See, we have something to offer you. Join us. Talon could restore your family’s empire. You could have it all once more. The money, the power, the honor of your family. Just say the word and Talon could bring it back for you.” She brings her finger down his lips and taps his chin upwards. He grimaces.

“Yes, but at what cost? I left my family for a reason. Besides, the Shimada clan is no more. Talon can offer me nothing.” His voice is hard as steel, tone dangerous. She’s close enough that he could take her out now, but he needs her to deliver that message. Talon will never have him.

The woman hums and turns her back. He can see the spider tattoo on her back and knows that he must be dealing with the sniper Widowmaker. She glances at him over his shoulder with a smirk that could make a baby cry. “If that’s the case, then tell me: why does the Shimada clan still have dealings in Japan? Why do you have to fight through guards every year if the clan is no more?” Hanzo pauses. There is no answer he wants to give. “It’s because the clan isn’t dead. You and your brother both did much to douse the fire of the Shimadas, but it never died. Currently, the embers of the fire glow, weak and desperate. You are all that’s needed to rekindle the fire, with Talon’s help of course. Just say the word and it could be done.”

At one point, these words would have been alluring. The promise of the position he was groomed to hold. The pride of his family restored. He would finally be making his father happy. If only she had come many years ago, he might accept. Instead, Hanzo shakes his head.

“Tell your bosses this.” He waits until she looks at him again to continue. “There is nothing Talon can offer me to get me join. I will never join you.” She mulls over his words for a bit then shrugs.

“Such a pity. My boss is not a man you should disappoint, but _c’est la vie_. Do not think you can escape Talon for much longer though. I am sure I will see you again, _Monsieur_ Shimada.” With that, the woman turns and leaves. Hanzo stares after her, wondering if Talon is really that interested in him. Sure, his skills as an assassin are good, but surely that can’t be the only reason they are interested. That alone isn’t worth the persistent attempts at recruitment. Hanzo wonders briefly if he should inform someone in Overwatch. No, he decides. Some members still distrust him. Informing them of Talon’s interest in him will only disrupt Overwatch. Besides, he has no intentions to join. It will be fine.

Satisfied, Hanzo turns back to the karaoke room. He can hear Lena’s terrible singing as he approaches, a wry smile on his face. The archer opens the door and hears more laughter and cheering. Hana sees him enter and ushers him in, pleading with him to sing something. They’ve all been dying to hear him sing. Hanzo is not one to disappoint.

That night, everyone, Hanzo included, finds out that he is a rather good _Enka_ singer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowee do I have a lot of things to say to you guys. First, let's talk plot a little. I was gonna introduce D.Va a little differently than I did, but then her short came out and it didn't deter me but just made it BETTER. I thought since it was a military organization that she'd be the carefree troublemaker, but nope, she's even better as the one who burdens herself too much (have I mentioned I love characters like that?) so anyways, D.Va is now introduced.
> 
> Now let's do the culture notes:  
> -Betobeto are basically harmless creatures in Japanese folklore that walk around at night and in the dark leaving behind the sound of footsteps. That's all they do basically.  
> -South Korea has a mandatory draft for every man must serve for 2 years in the military when they reach 19. The only way to get out of it really is to win an Olympic medal from what I know.  
> -Enka is a genre that's kinda hard to explain but think of it like the Japanese version of blues music. They try to be old and traditional and sing about missing how Japan was 100s of years ago. I thought it'd suit Hanzo pretty well, especially considering he's got a kabuki skin and all
> 
> And with that, that's all I've got to say about the chapter. Look forward to the relationship between Hanzo and McCree and the Shimada brothers develop a little bit more in the following chapters. Until next time~


	8. Time Is Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo and Genji finally start talking, Hanzo finally starts making a regular schedule, and someone somehow always finds a way into that schedule

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait on this chapter, but don't worry! I haven't forgotten this fic nor have I abandoned it. Writing is just going to be reeeeeeaaaaaaaaalllll slow because I'll be moving out of the country in March so I've been doing a lot to prepare for that.
> 
> A side note, remember when I said the pacing was going to get faster? Yeah, I don't remember that either lol (in other words, faster pacing doesn't happen yet). And although it might be hard to tell by my writing, it's Early November in the beginning of the chapter and close to Christmas and New Years towards the end, so this chapter covers lots of ground. Anyways, I hope you enjoy~!

The soft, pink petals of the _sakura_ trees float beautifully in the wind. They decorate the air around Shimada castle well. Perhaps it is but an illusion of the petals floating by, but the moon hanging full in the sky is also nearly pink in color, contrasting starkly to the dark of the night sky. It is so peaceful and soft that it would be hard to tell a funeral had recently taken place. Hanzo sits on a balcony with sake in hand, watching the petals flutter by. The ethereal beauty found in Japan’s nature has always been entrancing to him as it is most Japanese people. He thinks it only a shame his brother could not join him for this flower viewing.

The dragons within him hum pleasantly. This is home. Hanzo knows only peace here. There is no yakuza to lead. There are no burdens he must carry. If he tries hard enough, he can pretend that even his parents are still with him. It is a sense of peace that Hanzo hasn’t felt in so long. Hanzo is just a simple man enjoying sake for once.

“ _Anija_ , sorry I am late.” Genji’s voice comes as a slight surprise, but Hanzo is only glad he could make it. His younger brother sits beside him, whole, healthy, a large smile on his face. Hanzo is sure that the sparrow has no doubt just broken some poor girl’s—or boy’s—heart, but that is just who Genji is. The elder passes his brother a sake cup then pours in the clear liquid.

“Welcome, Genji. It is good that you are here.” He sets the sake down and breathes out a light sigh before taking a sip from his cup. “It is a lovely sight, is it not? The estate really is beautiful.”

“Perhaps, but I think I still find people more beautiful,” Genji laughs with a nudge from his elbow. Hanzo chuckles at his younger brother’s antics.

“I almost feel sorry for the sorry sucker you end up choosing to settle down with. There is a long trail of broken hearts left in your wake.” Hanzo sips from his cup again. He can’t tell how much he’s had. He can’t recall ever refilling his cup, but he knows that he should have by now.

“Please, you are even worse than me, _Anija_. I at least give people a chance and bask in their love for me. You just turn them down cold. Everyone calls you an ice prince even! Ha!” Genji laughs and rests his cup on his knee. His green hair is rather vibrant in the moonlight before them. Hanzo wonders why he ever got rid of the color once. It suits him though he’d loathe to admit it.

“Perhaps they should try harder to woo me then. I fall for no mere normal person,” he harrumphs. Genji just snorts.

“ _Anija_ , your standards are higher than Mt. Fuji. Live a little and lighten up. If you focus only on the perfection at the peak, you may miss the charm of the flowers you see along the way.” Hanzo hums. That is actually not bad advice and definitely explains his brother’s playboy-ish ways.

“Perhaps one day. But for now, I am rather satisfied just having you in my life, Genji.” Hanzo blinks. Never has he said something like that before. Why hasn’t he said something like that before? It is the truth and Genji should know it. He turns to look at his brother, expecting the smiling face before him only to see one of pure horror and anger mixed in one. Blood dribbles down Genji’s chin from his mouth and countless scars litter his face.

“Then why did you kill me, _Anija_? Why did you do this to me?!” Genji’s voice is mangled, half from his wounds, and half from somewhere else, something almost robotic. Hanzo starts in shock. He tries to pull away only to find a sword in his hand. A glance tells him that the blade of the sword is plunged into Genji’s chest. A scream dies in Hanzo’s throat. “ _Anija_ … Why have you betrayed me, _Anija_?!”

“No!... No… This isn’t… This isn’t what I wanted!” Hanzo lets go of the sword in horror and stares at his bloodied hands.

“Hanzo! Don’t look away!” Genji’s voice is more robotic and shocks Hanzo into looking back to his brother’s face. The body of the near-omnic man is before him. A blade is held in his hand while the other points to the old Genji’s body, lying dismembered on the floor. “Look at what you did to me! All for your selfish gain!”

“No!... You’re wrong! It wasn’t-”

“Then why did you kill me?!” Genji roars. He readies his blade and Hanzo backs up, crawling on the ground.

“I wasn’t- I didn’t mean to- Genji!” Hanzo cries out as he reaches his brother’s body on the floor. It looks just as he remembered it from ten years ago. His legs missing, his right arm missing, the dragon tattoo on his back scarred and marred from Hanzo’s handiwork. Tears begin to fall down his cheeks. “Genji! What did I…”

“This is what I have become because of you. It is time for you to pay the price for your betrayal…” The cyborg Genji’s voice is cold, devoid of any of the love or care usually found in his voice. Hanzo turns to see the cyborg standing before him, blade readied to strike.

“Genji…”

“Goodbye, Hanzo. You never really were my brother.” The blade swings down towards Hanzo’s throat.

“No!” Hanzo quickly sits upright, gasping for air. His hands clutch at his throat where he can feel the ghost of the blade from his nightmare. His windpipes burn from the tingly sensation and from his laborious breathing. The dark room does little to soothe him, but once he gets his bearings, he is able to bring his breathing under control.

It has been a while since he had a nightmare of that night. Not since he was last in Japan. The dragons writhe under his skin wishing to find a release for the energy inside of him. They are anxious just as he is, but there is no outlet. Hanzo takes a few deeps breaths and closes his eyes. Images from his dreams lie beneath, but he shakes them away with each breath he takes. Eventually, he calms as do his dragons, but he can feel their displeasure.

_Young Master_ , Raimei tries. Hanzo frowns and wishes not for the first time in his life that there were a way to ignore the dragons. _Young Master, you cannot continue continue on like this. You will meet your end if you do._

_Perhaps that is for the best,_ Hanzo thinks as he reaches underneath his bed. He finds his legs, cold to the touch, and bring them up to reconnect them. It has been a while since he last removed them, but Angela has been persistent he does. He would rather be left alone and miserable without his legs than listen to her pester him about removing them. The connection causes a brief flash of pain, but it isn’t before long that he can move about again. As he stands and adjusts his _yukata_ , he can hear Raikou start to clicking his tongue.

_Young Master, quit being so selfish. This is more than just your own suffering._ Hanzo rolls his eyes.

_Forgive me for not thinking of you, but you will at least be free of me if I were to meet my end._ Despite the dragons calming, he can still feel the rush of energy in his nerves. Hanzo shakes his head to try to gain some clarity before setting off towards the kitchen.

_You really are a fool if you think this affects only us. You are a Shimada. It is high time you act like one_ , Raimei scolds. This gives Hanzo pause. Hardly has that kind of tone been taken with him before, perhaps only once or twice. He can feel the displeasure of the siblings rolling through him. The archer frowns and continues on to the kitchen.

_Please, who in the world would possibly be worse off if I were to finally meet the end I deserve? Everyone would be better without me, end of discussion._ Hanzo makes it to the kitchen and aggressively goes through the motions of making tea. He is rough with the cabinets, yanking them open and slamming them shut. The ceramic mug chips as it is placed down on the counter. Hanzo burns his hand from the splash of hot water he dumps into the mug and once more when he tosses the tea bag inside. It is while the tea is steeping that he slumps against the counter and rests his forehead on the cool surface.

It has been months—six according to Hanzo’s count—since he first arrived and the archer has yet to talk with Genji about anything. To his defense, the cyborg also has yet to bring up anything close to the matter recently, whether it to mend their relationship or exact his revenge. It is admittedly...very tiring. Every day the two do not talk, the elder is reminded of his transgressions. Each day brings its own guilt and sorrow. Others on base—particularly the newer recruits who know little of his past—try to coax Hanzo into spending more time with everyone, yet he feels undeserving of their attention. These people are great heroes bringing peace to the world. Hanzo is a mobster, leaving ruin behind in his path. Even Hana can testify to that. Every glimpse of Genji is just another reminder that Hanzo should not be alive but due to his own cowardice and some ridiculous notion in his brother’s mind, he lives. It is exhausting. Hanzo just wants it to end.

With his tea finally ready, Hanzo tosses the used bag in the trash and takes his mug out of the kitchen. He doesn’t know where he’s going. His room is too alien, a reminder of the good faith others are unwittingly placing in him. Common areas are just that, too common and a probable gathering place for when the others do wake. Instead of having a destination in mind, Hanzo’s legs just carry him outside. The cold November chill cools his warm skin and does help in bringing some clarity to his head.

It is so early that the sun has yet to rise, but he can see the beginnings of it out over the horizon. The night sky is not as dark but is starting to brighten. Many stars still remain in the sky, but off towards the East, the numbers fade. Eventually, the scion finds himself on a high cliff above the watchpoint with a view of the horizon. It is a slow process, the sky brightening and the stars fading, but Hanzo watches every minute of it. The tea is gingerly sipped, tasting different but no worse as the temperature cools to match the chilly air around him. As the archer breathes, watches the sun rise over the horizon, and sips his tea, he feels a calm peace surround him for the first time in years. It is odd to feel that calm once again, but not unwelcome. Hanzo only wishes moments like these could last a lifetime.

But of course, that is impossible.

Sunrise proper has just reached the horizon when he hears it. “Dragon of the North wind coming South.”

Hanzo stiffens at the synthetic voice. He hadn’t even heard Genji approach. It is obvious the silence between them is not the response the younger had hoped to hear as he scoffs and sits beside Hanzo regardless. The archer resolutely refuses to even so much as glance at the cyborg. He can feel the dragons stirring from his turbulent heart, but Hanzo just focuses on the horizon to try to calm himself.

“Hanzo…” Silence. “ _ Hanzo _ .” Genji’s voice is stronger this time. Hanzo tilts his head to show he’s listening but still does not look. Genji sighs. As he speaks, he uses their native tongue, no doubt for comfort rather than secrecy. “I think I have waited long enough. We need to talk. You are only destroying yourself like this, trying to ignore everything. I gave you plenty of time, so it is time for you to stop running.”

Hanzo scoffs. “I run from nothing.”

“Then look at me.” Hanzo scoffs again. Genji shifts to fully face his brother. “Hanzo,  **look at me** .” Despite not wanting to, he finally relents. He would hardly be able to call himself elder if he didn’t.

The two brothers finally face each other. Genji isn’t wearing his face plate. In fact, he is missing much of the metal armor that usually encases his body and for the first time, Hanzo can see just how human his brother still is. There are the same boyish cheeks, the same warm, brown eyes, even the same terrible hairstyle his brother usually had in Hanamura—without the garish green color thankfully. Genji immediately frowns, no doubt seeing the guilt clouding his brother. He opens his mouth to speak, but Hanzo is quicker. The floodgates open, so to speak.

“Why have you not killed me yet? It is your right to do so. It is the only way things can finally end between us, so why are you so foolish enough to have not done it yet!” Hanzo is shocked by his own words, but the sparrow is not. Instead, his frown turns pitiful as he formulates a response. The elder looks away finally, a shadow cast over him. “Why did you not kill me first ten years ago? You had the opportunity. You’ve had several opportunities after besting me in battle and yet I still live. Why?”

“Because you are my brother.” The response seems so simple Hanzo can hardly believe it. He scoffs. “No, it is true. I… I had known that the elders were manipulating you in some way back then, but I hadn’t known how deeply they had sunken their claws into your mind. I had hoped that by beating you, you would finally listen to me for once in your life, but you didn’t. When I found you again in Hanamura… I had yet to decide if I wanted you dead or not. My master had sown the seed of doubt in my mind, but it had yet to blossom into the flower of hope I have for you now. As I said before, honor resides in one’s actions. Through my battle with you then, I could understand your grief and guilt. When I had my blade to your neck… I just thought that I would never forgive myself if I went through with it.”

“Well, aren’t you lucky to have never gone too far.” Hanzo grumbles.

“We are only human, Hanzo. We may have been raised to believe otherwise, but I always knew it. You weren’t always a great big brother after all. How many of my toys did you break?” Hanzo levels Genji with a glare to which the sparrow chuckles. “Of course, we can talk about that later, but my point remains. Deep down, I don’t think I ever wanted you dead. You have made mistakes, but I still want you—even after everything—in my life as my brother. But first, I must know… Just as you asked why I stayed my blade, I wish to ask why you did not stay yours…”

Hanzo sighs. How can he explain without sounding like he is making excuses? Is there anything to say at all? Genji is right, he failed to hold himself back properly. But of course there is more, there is always more to everything when it comes to the Shimada brothers. Eventually, the elder lets out a breathe he didn’t realize he was holding.

“I was...beyond frustrated. I felt like I was losing my only ally in the world. After Father had died… you never stopped your rambunctious ways. Hardly did I ever see you around the castle. It was enough to have lost Father, but I could not also deal with the grief that came with losing my little brother. I felt as though you wanted nothing to do with me anymore. I was… alone… And then there was the elders… They had me wrapped around their fingers despite me thinking that it was the other way around. I was a fool who played perfectly into their plans.

“Around the time of our fight, they had informed me that you were planning to betray the clan. Somehow, they must have known about your dealings with Overwatch. Regardless, the seeds of doubt in our bond were sown, and I foolishly allowed it to take root deep in my mind. That night, I truly thought you were abandoning me for your own selfish frivolities. Our fight was initially fueled by my grief and hopelessness, but then when you bested me in combat… Raimei and Raikou cried out. They became enraged by the very same rage I held inside and together, the three of us moved in a reckless fury. Even if I had beaten you before that point, I never wanted you dead. I just wanted you to listen, but the rage I felt that night… It overtook everything. It was only when I had seen the extent of the damage that I knew you would not live much longer.”

Hanzo grimaces. The scars on Genji’s face only serve as a reminder of the blood from that night. The archer shakes away the images, but cannot rid himself of the feeling of cutting through flesh with his sword. Or even the moment his sword chipped, getting stuck on the bone in Genji’s arm.

“I held out hope that perhaps Overwatch could save you when they landed and that I could protect the clan somehow, but you stubbornly continued to fight. I wanted things to end, but you would not let them… So I tried to cut your leg, hoping you would become unable to fight anymore.” Hanzo’s voice begins shaking. Despite the pain of remembering, he presses on. “That was not enough to deter you… so I cut your other leg…” The anger Hanzo has with himself grows as he remembers. He could have stopped. He could never have pulled out his blade, and yet, “When you still continued to fight… I…”

“Enough… There are many burdens you carry…It is obvious that you cannot carry them alone. Perhaps, I should… Let me.” Genji reaches out a hand and takes hold of Hanzo’s. Just as the elder starts to question this, he finds he is no longer on the cliffs with Genji. 

It is hard to breathe, almost as though he is trying to breathe underwater. Everything is weightless yet so heavy at the same time. It is dark and he is sinking. Sinking towards the darker depths below. He feels something grab at his legs, swatting, missing, then finally taking hold. A glance reveals the face of an elder he has killed. There is moaning and even more hands coming from the depths to grab him. Each hand belongs to a different being, the elders, his father, the dragons, even Genji. Finally, a voice breaks through the groans and moans.

“Murderer… Kin slayer! You are a disgrace to the Shimada legacy… a disgrace to all humans! You dare live? You dare seek redemption?!” A heavy weight, the heaviest yet, latches onto him from behind, bringing him down. The scion looks over his shoulder and sees a face that resembles his own yet darker, colder. Hanzo struggles, he struggles to free himself, struggles to breathe, struggles to regain control, but his guilt and emotions run rampant. “You deserve the scorn of those around you! You deserve death!”

Suddenly, a dull light can be seen from above, green in color yet soft and welcoming. Hanzo aims his struggles there, to reach the light despite all that weighs him down. He finds that by focusing on the light, it does become easier to move. The archer isn’t even aware there is a surface to reach until he does. It is silent. The moans and shouting are gone. It is bright. He cannot see anything. It is warm. Hanzo can breathe. He reaches a hand out to the bright light but soon finds himself sinking once more.

“You think it that easy! Foolish! Suffer! You must suffer! Suffer!” The hands grab at him once more, more persistent than before. The hands are no longer satisfied with a single purchase point. They continue, greedy for more. The hands scramble up his body, covering him completely. Hands grab at his neck, at his arms, his eyes. Soon Hanzo finds he can’t see, he can barely hear past the deafening moans and shouts. Hanzo struggles to free himself once more, but the more he struggles, the easier time the shadows seem to have gaining control.

_ Suffer! _

_ Suffer! _

_ Suffer, Hanzo! _

_ Hanzo! _

_ Suffer! _

_ Hanzo! _

_ Hanzo! _

_**Suffer**! _

“ **Hanzo**!”

In an instant, the cold dark is gone once more. Hanzo finds himself gasping for air, his chest heaving from the effort. Sweat drips down his neck, his back, and his forehead. The archer looks around him to soothe his panic. He is in Gibraltar. This is the cliffside on the watchpoint. He is with Overwatch, Genji’s saviors, the true heroes. He is a plague, sapping the light out of a good place. He must suffer. He must leave. He must pay for what he did to Genji. Genji…

“Hanzo!”

Panicked brown eyes meet worried eyes of the same color. Hanzo takes one, deep, shuddering breath. One, two, three, four. He releases it. One, two, three. He takes another. One, two, three, four. He releases it and sits once more with regality. The emotions are repressed once more. The mask of the cold-hearted heir resurfaces.

“So, that is what the dragons see when they feed on the emotions of others…” Hanzo finally says. Genji frowns.

“I do not think that is a most typical case… Brother, you are weighed down by much, much more than I had first thought. You must let go if you wish to fix things between us… You do wish to fix things between us, right?” Hanzo sighs.

“Yes, I want this to end. I still believe you and everyone else would be better if you would just kill me instead, but I will try to fix things between us regardless.”

Genji nods and looks back over the ocean. “Good. Now that I have seen what troubles you, I realize that this will not—cannot—be a one-time conversation. We will have to break things up then, work on them one at a time. I am satisfied in our discussion of that night though. I am relieved to know you never wished me dead. You hide your emotions rather well…”

“Yes, well, perhaps that is the one thing the clan actually succeeded in. They molded me into what they wished me to be.”

“That is true, but I also know that Hanzo—the real Hanzo I once knew—is still there inside you. Kaminari and I both saw him there, and I will not rest until that Hanzo is the one who is here at Overwatch with us. It will just take time.”

Hanzo keeps his eyes on the waves. “I will agree on two conditions.” The pause gives enough time for Genji to give his confirmation. “One, we cannot talk every day. It is too exhausting.”

“Fair enough. What is your second condition?”

Hanzo pauses. He will not enjoy saying it nor will Genji enjoy hearing it, but it must be said. “If-When the time comes that you find that I am nothing but a mere monster—that the remaining good in me died that night in our fight—you must finally kill me. You must promise to put an end to me.”

“Hanzo-”

“Promise me, Genji. Overwatch cannot suffer because of me. Not when its legality is still unsure.” There is silence between the two brothers. Eventually, Genji relents with a sigh.

“Fine, I will promise you both of those things, brother, but you will find that there will be no need for the second part.” The two sit in silence again for some time. It is in this silence that Hanzo realizes that his dragons have also finally quieted. For once, they are pleased with his actions. The scion can’t tell if this conversation has done anything for him. He still feels heavy, laden with guilt, but perhaps it is a step in the right direction.

_Suffer_.

Or perhaps it is not. Only time will tell.

Eventually, Genji stands. The sun is now bright and full in the sky, signalling the beginning of the day. “Well, I believe it is time to move on with our day. I will see you around, brother.” Hanzo only offers a nod. He relaxes once more when he is finally alone. Alone with the sea, the sun, and his thoughts.

Genji really is a fool for keeping me alive, is his first thought. I wonder who Father would be more disappointed in is his second. I should have ended my life years ago, is the third and last thought he allows himself to have. He can feel the displeasure of the dragons growing within him, so he decides to leave things there before he receives yet another lecture he cannot walk away from. With an empty tea cup in hand, Hanzo begins his walk to the kitchen. It should be early enough that it is not filled with agents at this point.

The halls are pleasantly quiet as he walks them. Perhaps that is more due to the fact that there are so few people living on a base meant to house hundreds. Regardless, Hanzo revels in the silence. A clattering sound proves him wrong. Hanzo raises a single brow and follows the noise. He sees Daehyun and Hana in a courtyard together, the young man holding some boxes as Hana walks with him.

“Daehyun! I told you to be careful with that stuff!” she scolds in their native tongue. The boy rolls his eyes and adjusts his grip on the boxes in his hands.

“Yeah, well, if you think this is so easy, why don’t you try carrying your shit,” the boy grumbles. Hana huffs and folds her arms over her chest, made much easier with her left arm in only a brace instead of a sling.

“Me? But I’m injured. Angela told me to not do anything until the beginning of next week to make sure my recover goes as planned.” This time, Daehyun huffs.

“Right… You sure don’t look injured anymore to me,” he mutters under his breath. Hana glares at him.

“What was that?!”

“What are you two doing?” Hanzo speaks up in Korean, alerting the two to his presence. Daehyun falters with the boxes a little before setting them down to talk. Hana perks up and bounds over to Hanzo. “I thought you would have already moved all of your things by this point. It’s already been a week since you got here.”

“Well, we moved the important stuff already, like our clothes and stuff to fix up Tokki, but this is other stuff. Winston talked to me about some stuff, so I decided to really help Overwatch out,” Hana explains. Daehyun just rolls his eyes.

“Aren’t you already helping us out?”

“She means, I’m carrying all of her gaming stuff so she can start streaming again. She wants to make Overwatch some money,” Daehyun says dryly. Hanzo nods in understanding.

“And you can properly hold a controller and press buttons like this?” Hanzo asks, gesturing to her arm still in a brace. Hana blushes and rubs the back of her neck.

“Well, I wasn’t planning on starting now, but it takes a while to set things up just the way I like it. I figured if I started now, everything would be ready when I get cleared by Angela.” Hanzo hums.

“I see… And how are your English lessons coming along, Daehyun?”

“Well…” the boy starts. This time, Hana rolls her eyes. “Hana is a terrible teacher, so they aren’t going so well.” Hana uses her good arm to slap Daehyun’s arm. “Ow! What was that for?!”

“You liar! You’re just a bad student. I don’t know how many times I have to keep telling you the same thing over and over again!” Hanzo chuckles. The two bicker just like he and Genji did when they were younger and not yet pressured by the clan.

“Well, perhaps I should teach him. I know the other agents are dying to be able to talk to you,” Hanzo offers. Daehyun nods, but the archer just smirks. “Just know that I’m a rather strict teacher. It won’t be easy.”

“I’ll take anything at this point. Do you know how hard it is to see your idol here but be unable to talk to him at all?” Daehyun whines. Hana rolls her eyes again.

“Oh boy, there he goes again,” she groans.

“Idol?” Hanzo asks. Hana groans and brings a hand to her face while Daehyun’s expression brightens drastically.

“Yeah! You guys never told me that Lucio was an Overwatch agent! I’ve listened to all of his songs and I’ve bought all of his albums! I was stoked to see him here, but he doesn’t speak Korean and my English is… well… what it is, so I haven’t been able to him yet! Gosh, even if I did speak English, I don’t know if I could talk to him. I mean, he’s so cool! And I’m so… meh, and I know I’d stumble over my words, and-”

“Anyways, he needs to know English better, and Hanzo here is going to take over for me. That sounds fine by me. Anyways, we have a schedule to keep Daehyun! Let’s get back to work,” Hana smiles and turns back to the forgotten boxes. The boy frowns and his shoulders droop as he trudges back to work.

“You mean I’m getting back to work while you just watch,” he mopes.

“Supervising is an important job I’ll have you know. Someone has to make sure everything goes smoothly.” Hana smirks as Daehyun picks the boxes up again. The three are about to go on their ways again when Hana stops and calls for Hanzo again. “I noticed that no one on the base really hangs out, like you guys don’t do much.” Hanzo raises a brow.

“What? We don’t do much?”

“Yeah! Like, one of you guys cooks dinner every night, and that’s cool and all, but it’s not like we all eat together or anything. Everyone’s free to come and go as they please. It’s no wonder it’s so easy for you to disappear, there’s no team bonding activities here! That’s why I took it upon myself to make one. You see, not only were our rooms close on the MEKA base, but we had weekly gaming tournaments too! And once a month we had a big dinner with everyone on base, and everyone was free to bring their family too. We need something like that here, so every Thursday night we’re going to have a game night in the common room, bring everyone together.” Hanzo hums.

“I see… Why Thursday though?” he asks.

“Because, Friday is the start of the weekend, and people usually have plans during the weekends. Mondays are terrible, and honestly, we’ll most likely have missions during the week anyways, so I figured Thursdays would probably work best as it’s late enough in the week for people to return from missions, but not too late that it cuts into their personal lives,” she explains. Hanzo nods.

“You’ve certainly put a lot of thought into this…”

“You’re right, I have. And it’s for that reason that you’re not allowed to skip!” She jabs a finger in his chest accusingly. Hanzo frowns but doesn’t say anything. “You’re a big part of the reason why I’m here, so I want to spend time with you too. You’re coming and that’s final.” Hanzo sighs.

He’s exhausted and quite frankly doesn’t want to spend his time with people. Then again, the event in question is the next day. There might be a chance he will be more willing to be around people. Also, there’s no telling if someone will be sent to fetch him in the meantime. Considering his options, it might just be better to go and stay quietly in the background.

“Fine, I suppose I could drop by every now and then. I will be there tomorrow night, don’t worry, little flower.” Hana crinkles her nose at the nickname.

“You and Genji are both so weird but in different ways. You call me flower, and he just calls me booger. Are you really related?” Part of Hanzo tenses at the mention of his brother. Another is glad to see the same childish behavior. 

“I’ve asked myself that same question since the day he was born. Keep in mind, he has acted like a 5 year old his entire life.” Hana chuckles, and if Hanzo’s lips curl up a bit at the ends, neither of them says anything about it. “Anyways, I shall see you tomorrow night.”

“Yup! It’s in the common room next to the kitchen. You better be there, old man!” Hana smiles and bounces towards Daehyun as they continue on back towards Hana’s room. Hanzo shakes his head at the girl’s antics and continues on his way, but not before making a detour. Hana isn’t the only one who can offer funds towards Overwatch.

Hanzo is pleased with how the rest of his day goes. He takes Storm Bow to the training grounds for a bit of aiming practice and a hard workout. Some of his frustrations leave him through each trained arrow, and his body is pushed to the limit. Well, the limits that Athena allows. As soon as the meddlesome AI spoke up, Hanzo ceased his exercise and began to clean up. A shower and another cup of tea later found the archer sitting on the roof of some building to watch the sunset. He sits alone for the rest of the night, reflecting on his conversation with Genji now that he has calmed. It might only be the beginning, but the scion is starting to see the light at the end these conversations may one day—very far in the future—bring.

The next day greets Hanzo in kind. He wakes after the first restful sleep he’s had in a while and goes through some stretches and daily _kata_ after reattaching his legs. After that, he takes a light jog around the base, down the mountain, and back up. The archer returns just in time for lunch which he shares giving Daehyun an English lesson. The pair have to shoo Hana away after she proved to be too much of a distraction—Come on, Daehyun! That’s basic! We learned this in middle school! Is your head only filled with mech stuff?!—but the lesson proves to be a good one in the end. After lunch, Hanzo moves to the training grounds again and selects an optimized program. It appears as though the program was created for the use of Jack Morrison, but Hanzo sees no problem in going through the same simulation if the man himself is not here to use it. Athena tracks his progress and gives him a rundown of the simulation—what he did well as well as where he could improve—as he cleans up. A shower and a change into more comfortable clothes brings Hanzo back to his room for tea, reading, and meditation.

An alert from Athena startles the archer out of his book’s universe. He was so absorbed in the reading that he had lost track of time. Hana’s so proclaimed “game night” has already begun. Hanzo marks his place and makes his way to the common room, though if he were ever unsure at any time where this get together was taking place, the noise coming from a certain room would give it away. Hana and Brigitte both perk up as the archer enters the room. Hana shoves some Nintendo controllers into his hands as Lucio explains the dancing game to him. Genji laughs nearby on a couch as he undoubtedly brags about his dancing skills to Angela who sits with him, a book in hand—information Hanzo files away for later. Everyone barring Winston, Torbjörn, Lena, and McCree are present, impressive considering Reinhardt’s size and age. Even Ray can be seen sitting in an armchair though he is quite involved in his holo-tablet. Before Hanzo is even ready, Brigitte boots up another song for the two of them to dance with and the archer finds himself out skilled, though it is a close match. He hopes to get away with just one song but “you just have to dance against me!” declares Hana. And Lucio. And Genji. And Hana again. Hanzo nearly regrets working himself so hard earlier in the day, but he supposes it is worth it to see a smile on nearly everyone’s face. It is late when Hanzo finally escapes the clutches of the newer Overwatch members, but they still continue long after he leaves.

The next day, Hanzo goes through the motions again, a sort of personal schedule forming. It is only at lunch as he’s in the middle of another English lesson with Daehyun that Athena forms everyone on base of the return of the four who were gone. Reinhardt laughs as he leaves, excited to see his short Swedish friend again. Genji starts to leave as well, but he pauses. Hanzo, so involved with his lesson, doesn’t notice until Hana cuts in. She pushes the archer away to go see his friend to which Hanzo replies “who?” Genji just laughs and pulls his brother along to the hangar. As Winston and Lena talk and Reinhardt and Torbjörn squabble, the cowboy saunters up to the Shimada brothers, a smile on his face. Genji asks after Busan and the MEKA base as the four had gone to cement their deal and learn more of the workings on the base—as Torbjörn was there more for defense suggestions and equipment negotiations. McCree regales them both of his time on the base while Hanzo briefly wonders why he’s there. It isn’t until the cowboy asks him for drinks that Hanzo stops mentally complaining.

The three part ways there, Hanzo going to the training room once again. This time though, he is joined by McCree who engages him in a little friendly competition. The two begin shooting together, aiming for the top score. When Athena announces the end of the simulation, both men are impressed and slightly perturbed to know things ended in a draw. They agree to a rematch at a later date then retire to McCree’s room for drinks—no need to go off base when we got alcohol right here, partner, he’d said. Somewhere along Hanzo’s 4th or 5th drink, he finds that he actually does not mind spending time with Overwatch’s resident cowboy.

Days continue to pass, the four who were on the trip to Busan learn of Hana’s weekly game night idea and look forward to joining in. Hanzo can only image the commotion it would be to have all the agents in the same room at once, but he isn’t to see it yet. He and Lucio are sent to Dorado for a simple surveillance mission as high activity of the Los Muertos gang and the mysterious vigilante Soldier 76 are rumored in the area. During the mission, Hanzo learns much about the young DJ turned social activist, particularly his dislike towards Vishkar. Having had some dealings with Vishkar in the past, Hanzo knew of their shadier operations, but had no idea the company could be so heavy-handed before. In turn, Lucio learns little about Hanzo. The archer shares his memories of his parents and the beauty of Hanamura, but little else. The two are gone through the weekly game night, much to the disappointment of the young medic, but Hanzo is less so. He can only be dragged around by the young, energetic agents but so much. Upon their return Saturday night, McCree is there once again as they land. Hanzo would be suspicious of the cowboy if it weren’t for the instant invite for drinks. The archer finds he could use a pick me up after being forced to socialize for a few days straight with someone he could not relate to.

The days continue, a regular schedule in mind. Early morning stretches and _kata_ , a jog, lunch and English lessons with Daehyun, post-lunch simulations, a shower, dinner, and finally either reading, meditating, watching movies or holo videos, or once a week, talking with Genji or Thursday night game nights with the squad. The Thursday after Hanzo’s mission with Lucio, he meets the scientist Mei and immediately she earns his respect. He can only imagine the mental strength necessary to survive the antarctic in search of Overwatch after losing everyone you know. Hanzo had nearly self-destructed many times simply because he lost one person. And, they can speak in Chinese together which eases the nerves of the scientist. 

His conversations with Genji also make some form of progress. It is still hard for the archer to see his brother’s unmasked face, but there is some relief that comes with the knowledge of how human Genji still is. They left for town together once and Genji dressed down in street clothes—a green turtleneck sweater with reindeer on it, earmuff, and jeans—and most people only knew he had a prosthetic hand. It amazes the archer in a way. Though, some days, their conversations don’t end so well. It ends in either an argument or Hanzo hating himself more than before. The archer finds himself having more nightmares after these conversations which causes a lack of sleep. Despite this, Hanzo doesn’t find himself alone most of those nights. He goes to the kitchen for tea and more often than not finds the cowboy there as well, sipping on coffee. When this happens, the two spend a while just drinking their respective drinks in silence. Then eventually, McCree speaks first, or Hanzo if he notices the gunslinger has had a particularly bad nightmare—after all, he is no stranger to the things that can haunt the minds of man. The two end up chatting for a while and more often than not, Hanzo leaves the kitchen in a better mood and with a lighter head. On the nights McCree isn’t there, Hanzo finds Hana in the common room playing games. Neither of them talk about their nightmares, but they provide a lighthearted distraction through the night and early morning. Then, though it is a rarity as of late, sometimes Hanzo finds himself alone. These nights, Hanzo takes his tea outside to watch the stars and the sunrise.

Perhaps what surprises Hanzo the most about his new schedule is how easily McCree became a part of it. At least half of his after-lunch training sessions has been spent with the cowboy either working together in tandem or against each other in a friendly competition. Even more surprising is how evenly matched they are. If a simulation is not tied, they keep the score even. Hanzo is confident that he’s won just as many matches as McCree which is both insulting and relieving. It has been years since Hanzo has had someone able to keep up with him. And another thing that became a habit is the drinking. Hanzo has noticed now that after every one of their missions, whether they are on it together or not, the two always go out drinking after they return to base. The archer didn’t even realize it was a habit until the two started leaving one night and Hana mentioned how neither of them said anything, they just started to leave. Hanzo’s first impression of the cowboy was accurate: he is smart and dangerous.

“Honestly, you give McCree too much credit, brother. He’s just trying to befriend you and you’re being stubborn about it,” Genji says. Hanzo blinks. Had he said that out loud?

“Well, you would think one would get the hint after so many refusals,” the archer scoffs. Genji just laughs.

“What refusals? You go with him every time.” Hanzo huffs.

“Why are we talking about that infuriating cowman right now? I thought we were having a discussion about Father.” The younger just laughs some more, slapping a hand to his knee. Genji’s teasing is so aggravating, Hanzo would rather talk about more grim matters. What a time to truly have his brother back. He briefly wonders why he ever missed having the young sparrow around.

“Ah yes, I believe you’re right. Now, where were we…” Genji muses.

“I was asking you about your training, since I have the feeling yours was less intense than mine, a tactic the elders used to eventually pit us against each other.” Genji’s eyes flash with recognition, but as soon as he opens his mouth, it is not his voice the brothers hear.

_Agents Shimada Hanzo and Shimada Genji, both of you have been called to the debriefing room as soon as possible._ Hanzo sighs, already used to the random interruptions of the AI. He stands and begins to leave but is stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

“We’ll continue later?” Genji asks. Hanzo gives a small smile as he peels his brother’s hand from him.

“Yes, later.”

When the brothers arrive in the debriefing room, they find Winston, Lena, Brigitte, and McCree already there. Hanzo silently moves in and takes a seat. Genji takes a couple steps forward then asks, “What mission is it this time? There are 6 of us, so it must be important.”

“Yes, well, we also need to get ready to move out quickly,” Winston starts. He pushes up his glasses and begins again. “This is going to be difficult because we know the general area of where the enemy will strike, but we don’t know any specifics. This is because our source of intel is-”

“Is trying her best! It’s incredible Emily was even able to catch wind of this sort of thing and you can’t hold it against her!” Lena interrupted. Winston sighs and puts a hand up.

“No, that wasn’t what I was going to say. I know you’re very invested in this, Lena, but-”

“No buts! There’re people counting on us, big guy.” There is a bit of silence in the room before McCree clears his throat.

“Lena, no offence, but would ya mind lettin’ Winston finish his spiel? The rest o’ us don’t got the slightest clue what’s happenin’ on this mission.” Lena sheepishly looks away. Finally, Winston steps forward to begin again.

“As I was saying, we have intel—from a King’s Row resident—that there seems to be a riot of some sort being planned. We don’t know many specifics about it, but this riot is going to be an anti-omnic demonstration, and from what he know so far, if we don’t step in, there will be a huge loss of omnic lives from this rally,” Winston explains.

“What? But I thought that area started accepting omnics more ever since… ever since the assassination,” Brigitte says. Lena’s eyes turn downcast leaving Winston to answer.

“We thought so as well, but perhaps it’s because that was a strong push towards omnic rights that the extremists are plotting something.”

“Do we got any info on a when this is happenin’?” McCree asks, pointing his cigar towards the gorilla.

“Oh! Uh, yes! We have reason to believe that this riot won’t be happening for another 4 days.”

“So if we’re leaving as soon as possible, what will we be doing until then?” Hanzo asks.

“Good question!” Winston exclaims. Hanzo just rolls his eyes. “Since there isn’t much we know, Lena and I figured we could use the days until the event for intel gathering. That is why you and McCree are here as you both specialize in that area.”

“Is it really a wise idea for me to be going if this is an anti-omnic rally?” Genji asks. Hanzo stiffens. There is no way he is allowing the younger to put himself in unnecessary danger.

“I thought about it, but perhaps it would be best for you to come along. That way if there are other omnics there, you could join them to counterattack while they think they are in control.” Genji hums.

“So you’re saying you’re going to send him in as bait? No. I refuse,” Hanzo speaks up.

“Hanzo, I’m going.” Genji says. Hanzo stands up and glares down at his brother.

“No, you will not.”

“Hanzo.” The younger stands as well. “I will be alright,” he says in Japanese. “You do not need to worry.”

“You will just get yourself killed out there!” the archer argues.

“And if so, then so be it. I could die on any mission, this one is no different.”

McCree stands up and steps in between the two brothers, a hand on each. “Alright, this ain’t the kinda conversation that has an end in my experience. Just agree to disagree and talk about it later maybe? Winston’s put a lota thought into this, so I’m sure it’ll work out one way or another.” Amber eyes turn on Hanzo carrying a silent plea. The archer huffs and looks from the American to his brother, then glances about the room. The tension in the air is very palpable, and he is not so socially awkward as to not understand that he is the reason behind it. Heaving out a heavy sigh, Hanzo sits once more in a controlled fashion.

“Fine, but just know that I am not conceding to this, just agreeing to discuss this once the meeting is done. And know, Winston, that if Genji does not see reason that perhaps I could have you see reason.”

“What, is that a threat?” Lena asks, disgust evident in her tone. McCree sighs and holds a hand out towards the Brit.

“He didn’t mean it like that, Lena.”

“And how can you be so sure of that?”

“Alright, that is enough!” The room is thrown into silence at Winston’s outburst. The gorilla huffs for a bit before controlling his growing temper. He clears his throat as he cleans off his glasses. Finally, he sighs and faces everyone in the room once more. “This isn’t like the old days. We don’t need to be doubting our comrades anymore.” Winston sends a pointed look to Lena who just rolls her eyes. “And, as acting leader, I of course take into consideration the pros and cons of every action, but I am not a dictator. If you have complaints, I will listen, and if they are founded, I will act on them.” Another look towards Hanzo. “Have I made myself clear?”

The room is silent for a bit more before the gorilla receives grumbles of affirmation. He smiles at the everyone and stands to dismissed the group. “Well, we’re going to try to take off after dinner tonight to get settled into our safe house. Go pack up and Lena and I will see you in the hangars soon.”

As people start to shuffle out, Hanzo turns towards his brother with a purpose. Genji purposefully keeps his back towards the scion and refuses to look. “I am going, brother, and that is final. You will not change my mind nor will you stop me. I am an agent of Overwatch. This is what we do.” And with that, Hanzo watches as the cyborg leaves the room. An angry snarl leaves his throat as he puts his head in his hands.

“What a stubborn pain in the-” Hanzo cuts himself off with another growl. A hand on his shoulder causes him to glare at the offender. McCree simply offers a small smile.

“What’s got you so wound up, partner? Genji’s right, we do dangerous shit all the time in this line o’ work. It ain’t like this time’s any different right?” he tries. Hanzo sighs.

“You are right, but there is a difference between doing dangerous work and purposefully putting yourself in the position to be killed,” Hanzo argues.

“Well, that might be so, but I think Genji can handle himself. Hell, knowin’ him, he’ll probably round up the other omnics with him too and it’ll be a counter-riot.” McCree chuckles but Hanzo’s frown only deepens.

“This is not a joking matter, cowboy.”

“Yeah, and it don’t really seem like it’s somethin’ that’s up for discussion either, archer.” McCree’s voice goes steely and hard at the end, like he’s issuing a challenge. Hanzo turns, slightly amused at the cowboy’s protectiveness over Genji.

“Is it not up for discussion or do you refuse to listen?” At that, McCree outright laughs and pats Hanzo’s shoulder. The archer simply raises a brow, unaware that he told a joke.

“I think the one that ain’t listenin’ is you, partner. Anyways, we got stuff we gotta do before take off. Go an’ pack an’ get outta your head for a bit. You’ll see that everythin’ll turn out just fine.” The American offers a lazy wave as he leaves. Hanzo remains seated in a small act of rebellion—no, he is not sulking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey, you made it through. tbh I'm not too happy with this chapter, but I wanted to get something out to you guys sooner rather than later, and it's a good gateway into bigger things happening in the next couple of chapters. Next chapter is gonna be a doozy I promise, then the next chapter I have a surprise for everyone, and then the next chapter is gonna just be a regular chapter lol but still exciting I promise! Anyways, thanks for reading as always, and though I have no clue when the next chapter will get here, I can't wait to see you guys there!


	9. Blue Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew are in King's Row, but they have a hard time coming by any information regarding the anti-omnic rally. Hanzo knows that if they fail, hundreds of omnics could lose their lives, so why is it that everyone only cares about Christmas? A dark and powerful foe also makes themselves known to the crew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry this took so long to get out! I just moved to Japan, so I had to focus on the move for a little while. Let me tell you, there's a lot of stuff you have to do to move to a different country. But at least to make up for it, I have a long chapter just as I promised!
> 
> Now, something important to note is the passage of time here 'cause I'm a little scared I didn't portray it properly. Quite a bit of time as passed between the chapters. The first two chapters are set in late May and early June as Children's day is May 5th. Then chapters 3 and 4 are in July to early August. Chapters 5 and 6 are in late August to September, and the crew picks D.Va and Daehyun up before the start of October. Then chapter 8 spans a couple of months from October through December which is where we are now. So, it has been nearly 6 months since Hanzo came to join Overwatch. 
> 
> With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy the chapter~!

The apartment complex before Hanzo is… quaint. A well-lit cinder block porch greets the crew, the rest of the building made of brick. The red of the brick has dulled over the years, a few water stains drip down the sides. Despite any complaints he may have about the place, it is a much welcome sight after the hour spent in the Orca. Both Shimada brothers had sat on opposite ends, pointedly ignoring each other, while McCree and Brigitte spent their time trying—and annoying on Hanzo’s part—to cheer them up. Lena and Winston sat in the cockpit, oblivious to this all, which would explain the pilot’s cheery attitude as she bounds up to the door of their room for the next few days with a large smile on her face.

Surprisingly to Hanzo, Lena knocks on the door instead of opening it herself. A shout is heard from inside and moments later, a beautiful red headed woman with freckles answers the door. Lena blinks in a blur of blue and quickly hugs the woman.

“Emily! It’s good to see you again, love! I’ve missed you!” she cheers. The woman, Emily as Hanzo now knows, simply smiles and reciprocates the hug.

“Lena, you were here just three weeks ago. And we talk on the phone every day.” Emily’s tone conveys warmth despite the admonishing words. McCree chuckles as the couple moves aside to let everyone else into the apartment.

“I see now why you were in such a rush to get here, Lena. You just wanted to spend Christmas with your girlfriend,” the cowboy teases with a lazy grin.

“Damn right I did, love, and I don’t feel guilty about it one bit!” Lena laughs as she zips into one room. A couple seconds later, she zips out wearing a comfy sweater and lounge pants. “But I also really want to save some omnics. I can’t believe the people of this city could do something like this with Mondatta’s statue here! It’s just not right.”

“And we will save them! I promise, Lena,” Genji says, setting his small bag down in the living room.

As the other agents settle in and Emily catches up with Winston and Lena, a familiar but unwelcome feeling settles in Hanzo’s chest. It’s hard to place exactly what he’s feeling, but it makes him itch for some of the sake he keeps in his gourd. Hanzo simply stands awkwardly by the door as conversations ebb and flow and Emily eventually extends her hospitality to offer some tea to which Brigitte, Lena, and surprisingly McCree accepts. The sour feeling in his chest increases as he goes seemingly unnoticed in the room. Hanzo eventually sets his bag down and grabs a few essentials: a fake ID for one of his many aliases, his gourd attached to his hip, headphones, and a long range listening device. His actions garner some attention as Brigitte glances over. The archer shrugs it off as simply “going to scout” and leaves the apartment otherwise unnoticed.

The paranoid man that he is constantly being chased by assassins, Hanzo first cases out the building. The door to Emily and Lena’s apartment is sturdy enough itself, if someone were to break in, they’d know. The rest of the apartment is not as well defended. There is no code or key to enter, so anyone can enter the building. The windows seem old and frail, the small metal railings holding small gardens and flowers offering leverage to any who wish to scale the building or break in through the window. The stairs are easily accessible to anyone in the building. Hanzo climbs the staircase, both pleased and distraught that the staircase does not have a gap in the center. It is not possible to reach the roof from the staircase, but he does notice a fire escape. The scion exits through the fire escape—to which there is no alarm— and is able to easily clamber up to the roof from there. Once settled into a position that is hard to see from below, Hanzo pulls out the long range listening device and puts on his headphones. He powers on the small walkie-talkie like device and sets it on the edge of the roof to pick up on various conversations.

Just like that, Hanzo sits and listens for a time, pointedly ignoring the sour feeling he had felt earlier in the apartment. Here, alone, it lingers, but less so. The calm of isolation soothes him, and he feels that in time, he can forget that uncomfortable feeling altogether.

At the very least, the surrounding area seems harmless enough. Hanzo picks up various light conversations ranging from a household’s shopping list to Christmas plans to complaining about co-workers. It puts his mind at ease as far as the safety of their safehouse. With such mundane talks though, he isn’t getting any information regarding their mission. He didn’t think it would be this easy at least. Information gathering is never so easy.

As hours pass, Hanzo’s cheeks and nose become chilly and his fingers start to numb. In the back of his mind, the archer briefly thinks that he should have at least brought a jacket as there is snow in the air and on the ground, but Shimadas do tend to run warm. The cold is always welcome, but there are limits. Perhaps he will end his surveillance in another hour or so and go back to warm up. From the chilling cold and the silence of isolation, Hanzo has had time to calm himself and feels something as close to peace as he could feel since ten years ago.

“You sure are a tough nut to crack, ya know that?” With the listening device, Hanzo could hear McCree’s footsteps ambling up the stairs and is not surprised by the appearance of the cowboy. He tilts his head to show he is listening but doesn’t respond otherwise. “With how cold it is, I figured you’d be back inside hours ago, but here ya still are.”

“We Shimada run warm. It takes longer for us to get cold,” Hanzo simply replies. McCree huffs out a breath and takes a seat beside the archer.

“Huh, I kinda figured that was special to Genji ‘cause o’ how his body works, but I guess not.” The cowboy pulls out a cigarillo and his lighter. He raises a brow in brief question to which Hanzo nods. After the stick is lit, McCree shoves his lighter back in his pocket and takes a few drags. Hanzo simply ignores everything, knowing the other’s mannerisms already. There is obviously a point McCree wants to make, but he’s taking his time and beating around the bush. “Ya know… if you’re feeling hungry, Emily made us dinner. It’s some sort o’ steak and potato stew kinda similar to that one dish you made that one time, what did you call it? _Nikajika_? _Nurajaka_?”

“ _Nikujaga_ … And that makes sense because _Nikujaga_ tries to mimic meat and potato stew from the British Navy back in World War II.” McCree blinks

“Huh, learn somethin’ new e’ry day.” The two sit in silence for a bit before Hanzo holds his hand out flat. McCree offers over his cigarillo. The archer takes a couple of drags before exhaling, letting the smoke out in a steady stream. He cuts himself off halfway and exhales through his nose, letting out smoke like a mighty dragon. Finally, he hands the cigarillo back over.

“I’m not hungry,” he says, figuring the American is still waiting for a response. McCree just frowns around his tobacco.

“Are you out here cause o’ yer fight with Genji?” Hanzo raises a brow at that.

“What? No. I am hardly that childish. If anything, Genji will be the one avoiding me. That was always his role.” Hanzo looks over the edge of the roof as a couple passing by looks at some anti-omnic graffiti.

“Alright, I’ll bite then… What’re you up here for? You’ve been in a right sour mood ever since we got here.” Warm brown eyes turn to the archer filled with worry. It is a bit shocking, but considering the amount of time the two have spent together, it is not misplaced. Hanzo huffs a sigh.

“I do not know. I felt some sort of emotion watching everyone inside that I have not felt in years. I’ve forgotten what it is called. I figured it would just be easier to remove myself before anyone noticed my mood and I ruined everyone’s happiness.” Hanzo turns off his listening device and removes his headphones. McCree is here for a talk after all. He was not raised to be rude.

“Ya sure ya ain’t just lonely?” Hanzo glares.

“Please, I know what loneliness feels like. It was not that.” McCree gives a thoughtful hum and strokes his beard. Hanzo just sighs. “Please, do not put much thought into it. I will be fine. This mission is only for a couple of days after all.”

“I suppose so,” McCree sighs. He glances at Hanzo out the corner of his eye before removing his hat and running a hand through his hair. “Well, I guess as long as you’re okay with it. ‘Sides, I could always come up and keep you company like always.”

Hanzo replies in the most monotone voice ever. “My hero. What would I ever do without you?”

McCree laughs. “Alright, you can tone down the sarcasm a little, Mr. Edgelord. I know you appreciate havin’ me around.”

“Appreciate or tolerate?” Hanzo asks, unable to fight the smile creeping on his lips.

“Ouch. You’re downright mean tonight. Alright, see if I ever try to cheer your mopey ass up again,” he laughs. Hanzo looks to the gourd that went untouched. Perhaps another night.

“Thank you for checking on me, McCree. Your concerns are better spent on someone else though. I will survive anything.”

“Just cause you’re survivin’ don’t mean you’re happy though,” McCree points out. Hanzo frowns. He could say something, but knowing how stubborn the cowboy is, he refrains. Instead, the archer just picks up his things and stands up.

“Yes, well, shall we go back inside? I can see you shivering already. Does that blanket around your neck not keep you warm?”

McCree huffs as he gets to one knee to get up. “It’s a serape! How many times do I have to tell you people? ‘Sides, it’s not like it covers my whole body. Leave a man be!” Hanzo refuses the urge to chuckle but still allows a smile to slip through. The cowboy smiles as well and stands fully.

Together, the pair make it back to the room. Much to Hanzo’s relief and delight, everyone is settling down to sleep. Brigitte, Lena, and Emily are out of sight and Winston sits on a large tire in a corner. McCree nods to Genji who gives a nod in reply.

“Lena and Emily are in their room. Since Brigitte is the only other girl, Winston offered up the room he usually stays in when he visits. I’m fine in a corner, and Winston has that tire over there. The couch has a small pull out bed for one, and there’s a few extra blankets and pillows for someone else to take the floor. You two can decide who gets what,” Genji explains.

“Right, well, I’m fine with either option, so you can take your pick, partner,” McCree drawls out. Hanzo rolls his eyes and grabs some blankets and pillows. He stares at the American as he pointedly throws them on the ground.

“I will be fine on the floor. Good night, everyone.” In the amount of time it takes the archer to set up the pillows and blankets to his liking, the responding chorus of “good nights” have finished, leaving the room silent and in darkness. Winston’s snores soon dispel the quiet, but Hanzo supposes it could be worse. Genji’s machinery whirs softer now, making him think his brother is also now asleep, or at least as much as he can be with that body. That leaves both him and the cowboy at least slightly awake. McCree’s breathing is even, but too light to suggest sleep. It’s incredible to think the man can be so quiet given his loud persona. It’s rather amusing.

Though Hanzo doesn’t quite fall asleep, he does achieve a peaceful rest. Time passes quickly with his consciousness in semi-awareness. He has no control over his body, but he can hear the ongoings of the room, each of Winston’s snorts, some random words the cowboy mumbles, even the tweeting of birds in the early hours of the morning. Shortly after the sun comes up, there’s more activity. An alarm goes off further into the apartment followed by voices murmuring and footsteps. Eventually, sounds are heard in the kitchen and Hanzo starts to rouse from his rest, gaining more awareness, but not quite fully awake yet. Then there’s a laugh. Winston snorts loudly and wakes, causing McCree to startle awake as well. A huff leaves Hanzo unwillingly. Guess he’s awake now. He wearily blinks his eyes open and sees Emily and Lena in the kitchen together. Now the sounds make sense.

“Oh, Mornin’ folks.” McCree yawns. Hanzo sits up and blinks at the cowboy.

“Do you not say ‘y’all’ at every opportunity you get?” he asks. McCree blinks and laughs.

“Nah, ‘fraid it don’t really work like that.” Hanzo hums. The rest of the apartment soon wakes up as well. Genji starts some tea while Brigitte enters wearing some sort of cat onesie. Lena and Emily fix breakfast which everyone happily eats. Hanzo eats from the living room, keeping an eye on everyone. Conversation flows—though mostly from the chatterbox otherwise known as Lena—quite easily throughout the meal. It’s almost as if the hosts have even forgotten about the archer’s presence which is more than fine with the man himself. As the food disappears and dishes get cleared away, Winston clears his throat to gather everyone’s attention. He meets the eye of everyone save Emily who is busy doing the dishes before speaking.

“Alright team. We only have a couple of days to gather any sort of information about the rally happening, so let’s do our best. I’ll uh, have to stay here given how noticeable I am, but should you all find anything, please report it to me immediately. I’ll be working in tandem with Athena remotely to try to pinpoint locations, names, and anything else we can find. Try to reconvene here at 1800 for a debrief over dinner. That’s all.”

Hanzo rolls his eyes. The debrief is a terrible excuse. Group dinner. He supposes he will make some equally as terrible excuse as to why he cannot attend and stay out for more information gathering. The archer moves towards his belongings to prepare himself for the day ahead.

Lena gives Emily a quick kiss goodbye before zipping out the door. Brigitte is not too far behind the Brit, dressed down in civilian clothes, a nice fur coat to protect her against the cold. Genji leaves next wearing as little armor as possible, a hat, and a scarf to cover as much skin as possible. Hanzo is about to admonish him for leaving unarmed, but he sees the tip of his _kodachi_ sticking out beneath his parka and leaves it be.

To blend into the crowds, Hanzo pulls on dark navy sweatpants, brown work boots, some random yellow undershirt he apparently packed and a black parka. He debates for a moment what he wants to do with his hair before deciding on a low ponytail and black earmuffs to hide the earpiece to his comms device and a bluetooth earbud for a pocket version of his listening device. The bow and cello case are both too big to practically take around town, so the archer shoves a knife in his boot and pulls out a small handgun to tuck into his waistband on his back.

“I didn’t know you had a gun. Hell, I didn’t know you could shoot one too for that matter.” Hanzo raises a brow at the cowboy still in the room—dressed without the overtly American caricature items for once.

“We Shimada are trained in many forms of combat with various different weapons. A gun should be the least surprising.” With a huff, he packs up his belongings and stands to leave. McCree hums at that.

“Suppose yer right.” Seeing Hanzo ready to leave, the American moves from his place and heads towards the door with him. Once again, the archer raises a brow, but doesn’t say anything until the two are outside.

“Is there a reason you’re sticking to me? I hardly believe that I require a babysitter, and I highly doubt you need one either,” he frowns.

“Yeah? Well maybe I just like yer company. Ever think about that?” Hanzo lets a laugh escape him but then immediately clamps his mouth shut. Unfortunately, it was heard. “What? Why’d you laugh?”

“No, I was just thinking about how pitiful your existence must be if you actually enjoy spending time with me. My own mother didn’t enjoy spending time with me,” the archer explains nonchalantly. McCree frowns. “But regardless, I suppose I could let you come along today if you truly are that desperate. Two pairs of eyes and ears are better than one after all.”

“Oh, right, the mission…” the gunslinger grumbles.

“Yes, the mission. The only reason we’re here.” Hanzo huffs as he turns to his companion, leading the way through the city streets. “What is it with you all that you seem to have forgotten our reason for coming here?”

McCree sighs and runs a gloved hand through his beard. He shakes his head as if he’s pitying Hanzo which irks him to no avail. “Well… It’s Christmas Eve today, ya know? No one ever really wants to be alone on Christmas Eve. I’m sure Lena’s even out buyin’ some sort of present for everyone, what with who she is ‘n e’rythin’.” Hanzo hums, finally understanding. This could possibly be part of the reason for the uncomfortable feeling from last night. A culture clash.

“Ah, I see. The Western traditions are winning out here.” Hanzo turns on his listening device, keeping an ear out for anything suspicious. He has a feeling this conversation will last a while after all, and neither of them will really be searching for information during it.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Don’t you guys have Christmas in Japan too?” McCree almost sounds insulted.

“There is Christmas, but most Japanese people aren’t Christians, so what good would come of celebrating such a holiday? It’s mostly just a couple of days for a couple to spend flirting with each other and giving each other presents. It isn’t a national holiday, so the banks and many businesses are open, and in fact, winter breaks for schools usually don’t start until after Christmas to ensure there is enough break time around New Years as that is the more major holiday,” Hanzo explains. He glances up at McCree. “This must be why you have been so concerned with my being alone, but I can assure you, I have spent many a Christmas alone and will continue to do so. It is but one out of 365.25 days in the year after all. It holds as much significance as birthdays, another thing that is more celebrated in the west.”

“So… you ain’t been lonely?” the cowboy asks. Hanzo laughs.

“Hardly. Just life as usual.” Hanzo smiles despite himself. McCree is a generous man. If Christmas is so important to him, he should be spending it with others who are closer with him. Not hanging around a kin-slayer such as himself.

“Well, that ain’t comfortin’ in the least. After all, you are kinda broody.”

“Broody? I do not-” Hanzo stops. Finally something worthy to listen to. He pulls out the listening device in his pocket and turns up the volume.

“So are we all set for the 27th? We provide the people, you provide the gear. That’s the deal, yeah?” From the voice alone, Hanzo guesses it is a man only a bit older than himself in his 40s, early 50s at most. The heavy British accent is a bit grating, but there is hardly any hesitance in his voice. This man expects much of whoever he is talking with.

“ _Ai dios mio_ , of course, _amigo_!” Hanzo blinks. He wasn’t expecting to hear Spanish, much less from such a youthful sounding woman. The woman sighs exasperatedly, and he can hear an odd electrical sound wondering if there’s some sort of static or interference with his device.

“Hanzo? Ya don’t what?” McCree asks. The archer immediately shushes him and holds a hand up to his mouth.

“Look, here’s all that we’re giving you. You get some firepower in case there’s any resistance, you get my special toy that I’ve been working on just for you, aaaaaaaaand, as a special bonus to ensure everything works out right, you get the pleasure of working with my grumpy boss.” The woman growls out “grumpy boss” with some affection mixed in with the sass. There is a bit of silence as the man seems to be taking in the information.

“Fine, we shouldn’t need the help of the Reaper, but it’s good we have him with us. Pleasure doing business with you, Talon,” the man finally says. There’s another electrical crackle followed by the sound of hands clasping together—probably a handshake.

“I would say the same, but it really hasn’t been a pleasure. England is boring and the weather is terrible. Well, see you later,” the woman laughs as another electrical sound—this one shorter and higher pitched like an old TV turning off—zips through the air. Hanzo hears the man grumble before deciding he wouldn’t get any more information from listening.

“Talon is involved. This is much bigger than we thought,” Hanzo mumbles. He looks back down to his listening device to get the general location of where that conversation took place.

“Talon? Man, this is gonna get ugly then. I’ll leave ya to what yer doin’ an’ I’ll break the news to Winston.” McCree pulls out his comms device as Hanzo nods. With a tug on the other’s jacket, he has the two of them heading towards where the conversation took place. From the various turns through nooks and crannies, Hanzo isn’t surprised to see that it’s an alleyway in the more residential area of town, but perhaps there is still something around that he can use to glean more information.

“The monkey says he had a feelin’ Talon would show their faces here, but at least now that they know, him ‘n Athena can do a bit more work in their databases about their different strategies ‘n stuff,” McCree finally says, shoving the small device in his back pocket. Hanzo hums distractedly as he looks through the abandoned boxes and dark alleys for more information.

“So, I saw that little doohickey ya had last night, but I don’t see it now. Did you have somethin’ else that let you hear whatever it is that you heard?” When Hanzo turns to answer, he sees the cowboy also sorting through stuff. At least he picked up on the fact that there might be more to learn here.

“Yes, I have a smaller, pocket sized listening device with me currently. The earmuffs are hiding the earbud I have in my ear. Now, look around for something. It seems as though Talon is giving weapons for this rally, so theoretically, there could be something nearby,” he explains.

The two spend a couple of hours searching the surrounding alleyways for any clues. The boxes and bags they sift through only contain trash, and any receipts are for food or small knick knacks. Despite having the listening device on, nothing else of importance comes up nor does he hear the voice of the man from earlier. Though he has been listening for the woman as well, the way she spoke made it seem as though she isn’t going to be sticking around. She could already be halfway around the world by now. Then again, she said something about leaving a toy. It has to be something impressive based off the pride in the tone of her voice. Hanzo sighs. Even with new information, they have hardly learned anything.

“How about we take a break here, partner? We’ve only got ‘bout 40 minutes ‘till we gotta reconvene with everyone, so why don’t we head on back and come back ‘round here again later?” McCree says at some point. Hanzo didn’t even realize how late it had become. With the short winter days, the sun has long since been gone, but the streetlights have provided enough light to understand what they’re looking at. Hanzo grunts as he stands upright, sniffling a little in the cold.

“Alright, I suppose that would suffice. Staying out in the cold for too long isn’t good for our health after all.” Hanzo clenches his hands closed a couple of times, starting to get the tingles in his hands through his gloves. With the dragons coursing through his veins keeping him warm, it’s taken this long for him to feel the effects of the cold. Surely McCree must be freezing, but he hasn’t said anything until now.

The man’s cheeks and nose are red, a testament to how cold he truly is. Though his cowboy hat has been replaced with a knit cap, it doesn’t seem to be doing the job well enough. The cowboy shivers a little as they walk before folding his arms over his chest to keep in some warmth. McCree isn’t nearly well dressed enough to keep himself warm in the current weather. Not only was there already snow on the ground when they landed in King’s Row, but fresh snow was added while they slept last night, and supposedly more is on the way. Hopefully, there will be more for McCree to put on back at the apartment. Hanzo stops his train of thought.

Incredible. He’s actually worrying about the stupid cowboy. A dangerous man indeed.

Hanzo didn’t come to Overwatch to play at making friends.

When they arrive at the apartment, Hanzo is only slightly surprised to see they are the last ones. McCree groans in relief and begins to shed his outerwear only to immediately throw on blankets. A short chuckle escapes the archer before he remembers his goal. There’s work to be done, and a group dinner will only impede that process. He finds the gorilla sitting on his tire in the corner, fiddling with a holo screen connected to Athena.

“Winston, McCree reported some of the information I found today, but there’s more to say.” At hearing his name, Winston lifts his head and adjusts his glasses, a small smile on his face.

“Ah, Hanzo. I’m sure there is. You should share it with us while we’re all-”

“Sorry, but I’ll be going out again as soon as I give you the rest of what I know. I have a feeling I can find out more,” Hanzo interrupts, not wanting the formal invite. Winston blinks and chuckles awkwardly, but doesn’t say anything. The archer takes that as his cue to continue. “What I overheard was a local man talking to a woman from Talon. I didn’t see either of them nor were their names said, so I can’t confirm an identity for you. However, the woman spoke with a Spanish accent if that’s any help.” No look of realization comes across Winston’s face in the brief moment Hanzo pauses, so he assumes it doesn’t.

“Right, well, these two spoke of some sort of deal between them. Talon would provide the weaponry and some sort of special item, and the locals will provide the manpower. It seems that this is not just a simple anti-omnic rally happening and rather that they are planning some sort of attack.” Winston’s jaw drops slightly.

“Are you certain about this?” he asks.

“Quite. I have yet to determine what this special item being given is. The woman simply called it her ‘special toy,’ but I have been searching for any clues as to what it might be. It’s possible it could be something to interfere with our communications devices as I know Talon has the tools for it. After all, McCree and I have already experienced it. We should be prepared for the chance that we will not be able to rely on devices to communicate in battle that day.”

“Right.” Winston huffs. “This is incredible. Well, this is all good information to know. Thank you, Hanzo.” The archer bows in return and is about to leave again before he remembers something else.

“Oh, one more thing. I don’t know if it is important or not, but the Talon woman spoke of giving some sort of… insurance to make sure the rally goes as planned,” he starts.

“Oh? I guess that’s not that unusual…” Winston mutters.

“Yes, but it comes in the form of a person. She said that her boss, someone who goes by the Reaper, will be there as extra firepower.” Winston’s face immediately falls and turns grim at the mention of the name.

“Reaper, huh?” The scientist sighs and cleans off his glasses. “This isn’t going to be easy if he’s involved.” Hanzo arches a brow.

“You know this man?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” Winston replaces the glasses on his nose and shoves them into place. The gorilla suddenly looks tired, and Hanzo wonders just how strong this Reaper person really is. “When I spoke of a break in to the watchpoint before the recall, the Reaper is the one who spearheaded the operation. He is rather ruthless and holds a strong sort of determination to ruin Overwatch. He will definitely be a huge thorn in our side during this rally.” Winston sighs once more before glancing briefly to the others in the dining room. “Alright, I’ll break the news to the others. Thank you again, Hanzo, and good work today. I guess you’ll be going out to look for more clues now? What will you do about dinner? You need to eat too.”

“Don’t worry about me. I already have something in mind.”

 

The “something in mind” didn’t seem as greasy and grungy as it had his first time in this part of town earlier in the day. Regardless, bar food is something he’s used to. _Nomikai_ are commonplace in Japan after all, so his stomach is already used to cheap food and wheaty beer. This bar does prove less rowdy than any he’s been to in America, though perhaps on the same par as Gibraltar proper. With it being Christmas Eve, there aren’t as many patrons in the bar as there might normally be. There are a couple groups of young men and of young women—perhaps single with no family to visit. No one however, is talking about anything of interest. Hanzo just sips at his cheap beer to bide his time, debating on if he wants to stay until closing or if that will just draw attention to himself.

Ultimately, the night comes to an end with no new information or clues. His listening device never picked up on anything let alone the man from earlier. Though it is a disappointment, Hanzo returns to the apartment shortly after the bartender announces the last call an hour before the bar closes. With most everyone asleep already, he takes care to not make much noise sneaking in to rest a little. He wakes before everyone else and readies to leave again. Hanzo takes the same equipment as the day before, this time wearing his hair down and a hat over his ears instead of the earmuffs.

Instead of the residential areas, Hanzo ventures towards the industrial area. There seems to be a rather large factory of some sorts near a subway exit. It seems like just the perfect area to hide some sort of high-grade weapon, so Hanzo sneaks in through an upper walkway. The purpose of the factory remains unclear as he investigates the entrance beyond the large gate. There are a few storage crates here and there, but there are no workers—human or omnic—to suggest recent use. The area remains void of dust though proving it was not abandoned recently at least. It isn’t until he turns a corner and sees a large opening that he realizes this isn’t a factory. In fact, beneath the ground he currently stands on, there are many more buildings stretching down lower. This is a city in it’s own rights. The ground rumbles with the force of the subway close by rushing past on its tracks.

An omnic city… He had heard plans of omnic housing in King’s Row years prior. The omnic monk Mondatta supposedly oversaw the creation as well. He hadn’t heard anything of it though past the planning stages, but it apparently came to fruition. Hanzo walks around the opening a bit more and realizes this is a town square of sorts. However, the area is void of anything that would prove its usage. There are no posters or signs or anything. Just storage crates. Perhaps the city was never finished…

“Excuse me, are you lost?” The synthetic voice startles Hanzo out of his observations. He hadn’t even heard the omnic come behind him, even with his listening device. The omnic before him obviously had some job as a factory line worker with its overalls and cap on. Their eyes shifted constantly, showing a bit of nervousness.

“I suppose I am,” Hanzo finally says, opening his body language to put the poor thing at ease. The omnic shifts on each of their feet before speaking up again.

“Is there somewhere you’re looking for? It’s Christmas morning after all. I’d hate for you to be lost on Christmas.” Hanzo inwardly sighs. All this Christmas nonsense again.

“Yes, I’m looking for a store nearby...at least I think it’s nearby…” Hanzo trails off and describes the clothing store shortly outside the omnic city he saw on his way coming in. If the omnic is suspicious of him, they don’t show it. Instead, he receives some rather helpful directions and a warning of the store being closed on Christmas. Hanzo thanks the omnic regardless and quickly heads out, not wanting to draw any more attention to himself. How unlucky that the omnic was headed out to work themselves. Nonetheless, Hanzo doubts he would find anymore clues in there.

Walking around town proves rather fruitless. It’s Christmas, so there’s hardly anyone out on the streets. The most his listening device picks up on is children opening presents and of course, the unfortunate accidental voyeurism of married couple and lovers celebrating their Christmas without children. Hanzo wanders around town all day just to find out no new information. Once it becomes late enough, he wanders into another bar to try to pick up at least something. The most he picks up is a couple flirtatious looks from a couple patrons in the bar. Flattering, but unhelpful.

The archer is tired as he finally journeys back to the apartment close to midnight. None of the bars stayed open past 11 due to the holiday. It is to the archer’s surprise and chagrin when he finds that not only is everyone still awake, they are still celebrating. Everyone—yes, literally everyone save himself—is wearing some sort of holiday sweater. A large Christmas tree he didn’t remember seeing before is now standing proudly in the living room though devoid of any presents. The air smells of cookies and eggnog, and the laughter from everyone’s bellies seems warmed by some alcohol. Hanzo blinks. Has he been the only one working all day? Furious, he sets his bag down and is about to leave, but is stopped by a metallic hand on his arm.

“Hanzo! You’re back! You just about missed everything!” his brother exclaims. Hanzo’s anger softens slightly at the happy look on his younger brother’s face. Genji hasn’t looked quite so happy in… well, he doesn’t actually remember how long. Still, this type of behavior is irresponsible considering what is coming up.

“Have you all just been celebrating today?” Hanzo asks. He lifts his head and raises his voice so everyone can hear his next words. “Am I the only one who remembers an attack on the omnic population is happening soon?”

“Bah humbug, Hanzo! Lighten up! It’s Christmas!” Lena shouts over the soft holiday music playing in the background. The archer grinds his teeth.

“That kind of irresponsible attitude will be the death of someone. Just because it is Christmas does not mean that our enemies have taken the day off, so neither should we,” Hanzo reminds her. His words obviously burst her happy drunken bubble, because suddenly, the look in her eyes clears up and her large smile falls into a frown.

“You’re right about that, but just because they don’t enjoy these things doesn’t mean we should punish ourselves by not enjoying them either! God, I can’t even stand you half the time! Just look at you! If bad people don’t enjoy the holidays, then you must be a person for not enjoying them yourself!” she shouts. She huffs and looks at Emily who is a bit lonely without her girlfriend at her side. “Sorry Em, I’m going to take a few to cool down.” With that, Lena zips out of the room into her shared bedroom. Hanzo sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. Now he looks like an asshole just because he had to remind the woman of her job.

“Hanzo…” The archer lifts his head but doesn’t make a sound. Genji walks around to face his brother before sticking out his hands. There’s a small wrapped package in his grip. “...Merry Christmas, brother.”

Hanzo grimaces. He hadn’t expected Genji of all people to gift him something. They hadn’t given each other gifts since Genji was in middle school. Why now of all times? With shaky hands, Hanzo grabs the present. “...Thank you, Genji… But I-”

“It’s okay. I didn’t expect you to.” Those words are the final nail in the coffin. Hanzo Shimada has just officially ruined Christmas for everyone. The disappointment on his face must be visible because both McCree and Brigitte take a step towards the archer.

“Don’t,” he simply says. He clenches his hand around the present. It’s soft, able to be flattened easily. “I will see you all tomorrow.” Without another word, Hanzo grabs his bag and leaves the apartment. Hopefully with him gone, they’ll be able to enjoy themselves again.

Hanzo stops in the middle of the street. Of course, where does this leave him? Those were his sleeping quarters for the mission, and now he’s gone and exiled himself. With a heavy sigh, he slips down into a flat-footed crouch and buries his face in his arms. The snow is falling, so sleeping outside is out of the question. Even for someone who runs warm like himself, he would catch his death trying to sleep out in the snow. The bars are now all closed, and he does not know any other acquaintances in King’s Row. Perhaps he can still find a hotel…

“Hanzo.” The archer groans. Why can’t people just leave him alone? “Hanzo, please, just look at me, will ya?” So the archer raises his head. McCree is frowning down at him, a bit of pity in his eyes. “Look, just come back, alright? Lena’s already cooled off and she probably didn’t mean it. We’ve all been drinkin’ an’-”

“No, McCree, I can assure she meant every word.” Hanzo interrupts. He stands upright to hold onto at least some of his pride. “Thank you for your concern, but I will be fi-”

“Don’t you say the word ‘fine’! Fine my ass! Ya can’t just keep lettin’ people walk all over you like this! Just come back inside and go sleep where yer supposed to, goddammit!” McCree suddenly shouts. Hanzo blinks, surprised by the outburst.

“McCree, I-”

“No! No buts! Yer comin’ back inside, ya hear?” McCree is so mad he’s nearly biting completely through his cigarillo. Hanzo huffs a sigh but holds his ground.

“Thank you for the concern, but I refuse. I do not need your help, nor do I intend on angering Agent Tracer anymore than I already have. I’m thinking of how the mission will go on the 27th if I do. In order to make sure the team works together well, I will avoid doing anything else that might anger her. You cannot stop me from doing this. Go back.” Hanzo steels his jaw to show that he won’t back down. McCree heatedly glares at him for a few moments before growling and looking away.

“Fine! But I’ll investigatin’ with you again tomorrow to make sure yer doin’ alright, alright?” Even the cowboy notices how flustered he is with the repeated words. His eyes cross and he groans again before running his hand down his face. “Fine,” he repeats. “I’ll be headin’ back now ‘cause it’s cold, but you best get along and find somewhere to stay for the night. Ya can’t go sleepin’ out here, got it?”

“Yes, mother,” Hanzo teases before turning away. He can hear McCree grumbling as they both part ways. The archer is lucky to find a hotel with a vacant room and quickly slides to the floor at the wall opposite the door. Hotel beds are filthy things he would never be caught dead sleeping on. At least there, he can’t get in the way of anyone’s happiness except his own. Hanzo takes one look at the package his brother gave him and his heart pangs with guilt. He should have bought Genji something. Like this, it's like he's only receiving and not giving anything to offer. The archer opens the present and sees a golden silk tie, much like the one currently in his hair. This one however, has small designs of sparrows towards the ends. Hanzo gives a sad smile before placing it to the side. He will wear such a thing when he deserves the right to call Genji his brother. Unfortunately, that time is not now.

* * *

“We are running out of time,” Hanzo huffs impatiently. He and the cowboy have been searching the city for hours now to no avail. There has been no new information. They haven’t found anyone of importance who might know something. They don’t even have a location of where this rally tomorrow is supposed to be held. If only everyone hadn’t wasted the day away yesterday, they’d have more time. “This is happening tomorrow and we know next to nothing of what we’re up against.”

“Well, we do know a little bit of information,” McCree tries. Hanzo shoots him a quick glare.

“We only know one important player in the grand scheme of things. We do not know where it is happening, we do not know what they are planning to do, nor do we know how they are planning on doing it. We are basically blind in all of this!” Hanzo turns and rests his head on a nearby wall, ignoring the grimy feeling of the wet brick on his skin. Tomorrow’s mission will be a failure, and for once, Hanzo isn’t sure what he can do to make it otherwise.

“Come on now, don’t be like that! We still got tonight to look around. You stumbled upon somethin’, so surely there’s still more we can find.” Hanzo sighs defeatedly and turns so his back is resting on the wall instead.

“I admire your optimism, cowboy, but you truly are a fool if you think we’ll be able to find something going at the pace we currently are.” Hanzo supposes everyone will just have to prepare for the worst and make plans in their battle as time goes on. It will be similar to knowingly walking into a trap. It leaves an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. The archer glances up at the quiet man before him. Usually he is much more chatty. Had he offended him? “McCree? You do know that I don’t truly think you’re a fool, right?”

“Huh? Yeah, sure, whatever, hey do you know where I can get some spray paint?” the man asks. Hanzo blinks, taken by surprise.

“Spray paint?”

“Yeah… Actually, just stay right there. I got an idea I think’ll work. I’ll be right back!” With that, McCree sprints off down the street. Hanzo heaves a groan and slides into a flat-footed crouch against the wall. With how unsuccessful they’ve been, anything will be better than their current plan, so he decides to wait. Though hidden from his spot in the alley, the foot traffic in the surrounding area has picked up quite a bit. A quick glance at his watch shows that it is about time for the afternoon traffic rush. Despite this, Hanzo’s listening device just picks up on mundane conversation. If only he could overhear something again.

“Alright, I’m back!” Hanzo looks up to find McCree walking down the alleyway with a small paper bag in hand. The archer stands and raises a brow at the man, but doesn’t say anything. “Ya know, I had a thought. Maybe we’re goin’ ‘bout this the wrong way. We’re trying so hard to go to the information, but maybe we should be tryin’ to bring the information to us.” Hanzo just blinks. Has he gone mad? McCree snorts, obviously reading the archer’s thoughts on his face. “Just watch ‘n learn.”

The cowboy pulls a spray can of paint out of his paper bag then looks to the wall. Hanzo appraises the wall he was just leaning up against. There is a lone poster for omnic rights and a couple of flyers advertising restaurant specials and upcoming events. Already painted onto the wall though are several anti-omnic slogans. Hanzo hums in understanding. Tensions have been rising lately after all. It isn’t much of a surprise to see the vandalism here.

What does surprise him though is McCree uncapping the spray can and starting to add to the vandalism on the wall. He jolts forward to stop him, but he stops. Some part of him wants to trust this man. They are both outlaws after all. If a police officer were to catch them, he’s confident they can escape unharmed. Hanzo just watches his companion vandalize the wall, adding an… anti-omnic slogan? He’s so caught up in watching McCree that he hardly overhears people seeing them and heading there way.

“McCree! We need to go. People are coming,” Hanzo warns. The cowboy just smiles.

“Good. Let them come. Play along and follow my lead,” McCree whispers back. His smile widens as two men appear at the end of the alleyway and start heading their way. Hanzo ducks his head down and leans against the wall behind McCree. The man has gone absolutely mad.

“Hey! You there! What do you think you’re doing?” One man asks. Hanzo finally turns to appraise the two. The one who spoke is a burlier man, head shaven clean but with an impressive mustache. His companion is a smaller man though with a visible beer belly and unkempt haircut. Hanzo finally reaches out to pull McCree’s arm down and hisses at him.

“I told you we should have left,” he reprimands.

“Man, didn’t think we’d get caught though,” McCree just laughs. He rubs a hand to the back of his head and turns to face the two men who approached them. “Look, I was just trying to add to what was already here. I just can’t stand those buckets of bolts walking around like they own the place and wanted to voice my opinion. There’s nothing wrong with that, right?” Much of the Southern drawl is missing from the cowboy’s voice now, though all it really does is make him sound strained. The two men look at the “bots go underground” McCree added to the wall then looked to each other. Hanzo took this time to get closer and whisper.

“What in the world do you think you’re doing?” he asks sharply. McCree just keeps his attention on the two men who are also conversing with themselves.

“Just keep quiet and play along.” One of the two men clear their throats, drawing their attention again. The shorter one steps forward and looks between the two of them.

“So, you two hate omnics, do you?” the man asks.

“Sure do. I lost my parents in the Omnic Crisis and yet just because the omniums aren’t operating anymore, the world suddenly thinks it’s okay to forgive them,” McCree rants. Hanzo turns his head down a little. Just because he denounced the Shimada, suddenly Genji thinks it’s okay to forgive him. It takes a moment, but he realizes that everyone is looking at him to hear his opinion.

“Honestly, I don’t care whether omnics are around or not, but they shouldn’t be taking our jobs and getting paid for it. They’re built for it, so they should just do as they’re told and not rob others of a paycheck,” Hanzo finally says, remembering the kind omnic worker who checked in on him yesterday.

“Right?! So glad you two are of the right mind. Everyone’s gone into a right tizzy of sorts concerning omnic rights since Mondatta was assassinated, but who cares, right?!” The shorter man smiles and steps closer to the two while the burly one still is showing some caution. “I think you fellows are just what we need right about now. Do you have any plans for tomorrow?” Hanzo blinks.

“Excuse me?”

“Well, do you? Because you see-”

“Harold, I don’t really think we should…” the burly man speaks up. His eyes shift nervously and he fiddles with his mustache. The shorter man snorts and waves him away.

“Oh, step off of it, Teddy. We could use a couple of able-looking men like these two!” He taps his friend Teddy on the shoulder before turning back to the two of them. “Alright, look. You two don’t seem the local sort, so there’s no way you could’ve known about this. We’re spreading it carefully to make sure it goes off without a hitch, but tomorrow, we’re gonna take care of the little omnic problem in King’s Row.” It takes all of Hanzo’s training to keep his face neutral and interested. McCree was right. He brought the information right to them.

“Sounds interesting. Care to tell us more?” McCree asks, a wicked smile on his face.

“We’ve got an inside guy spreading word around the omnic city, but tomorrow we’re having a ‘job fair’ for the omnics there,” Harold’s voice is venomous as he says the words “job fair.” Hanzo raises a brow. “Like hell we’re actually going to give those machines jobs though. It’s just a front for a raid. Us and a bunch of other guys are gonna go in shooting. Our goal is to eradicate them all. Plus, word on the street is that the guy who organized this all got his hands on a special piece of technology that’ll make the job a lot easier. He’s got-”

“Harold! Even if we’re recruiting them, I don’t think they need to know that much,” Teddy interrupts, looking nervous. Harold just scoffs.

“Sure they do! Just imagine if they bring something and it gets destroyed all because we didn’t tell them? I’d hate to do that these proper looking fellows.” Harold catches his breath then looks back to the two of them looking real smug. “Sounds like our organizer got his hands on some sort of military grade EMP. Those bots aren’t gonna know what hit them.” Hanzo’s eyes widen slightly. An EMP in an omnic city would do incredible destruction. This will wipe King’s Row of omnics for sure.

“Man, you guys are really going all out, huh? So? When’s this things happening tomorrow?” McCree asks, stroking his beard. Harold smiles.

“Good to see you’re interested. We’re having the omnics gather in their town square at 10am. We’re going to meet them all at around 10:30 with all of our equipment, so that’s when it’s all going to happen,” Harold explains.

“We’ll meet them there? So then, where will we meet? Will we get anything to help out?” Hanzo speaks up. Harold’s eyes glint with excitement.

“Yes! We’re all meeting up by the big clock tower at around 9:30 in the morning. This is so all of us are given weapons and so we can take the EMP there. We’ll move out at around 10am to start moving the EMP. It should take about that long to get the thing to the town square granted nothing goes wrong. So we’ll see you two there then?” Harold asks.

“Most definitely. I can’t wait to really hand it to those dumb bots,” McCree grins.

“We will be there. Just when I was starting to think this vacation would be boring, we find you,” Hanzo adds. Teddy relaxes a little and nods at them.

“Likewise, it’s always good to find a new friend,” Harold says. He sticks out his hand and shakes both McCree’s and Hanzo’s hands. “Well, here’s to tomorrow, friends.”

“Tomorrow,” McCree repeats, looking pointedly at Hanzo.

“Tomorrow,” Hanzo nods his head. They wait until Harold and Teddy leave before moving elsewhere. With the heavy traffic around them, it’s hard to tell if they are being followed or not, so they go to a bar to hang around for a while. Once the foot traffic dies down and Hanzo can determine that they are indeed not being followed, they decide to head back to the apartment to tell the others of their discovery.

“That was quite impressive, McCree. I would have never thought to do something like that,” Hanzo admits as the apartment building comes into view. The cowboy just smiles.

“Well, I was in information gatherin’ for a while. It’s been a while since I changed up my accent though. Lucky for us, those guys didn’t seem to mind,” he boasts. Hanzo rolls his eyes.

“Yes… Has anyone ever told you your accents are atrocious?” the archer asks with a raised brow. McCree frowns.

“Maybe once or twice,” he admits.

“Perhaps you should listen and stop trying.” Hanzo laughs as they enter the apartment. This time, they aren’t the last to arrive. Lena isn’t here.

“Hanzo!” Genji rushes to the archer at the entrance. “You are alright? When you did not come back last night, I-”

“I am fine, Genji. McCree and I have a lot to tell everyone,” Hanzo says, making eye contact with Winston. The gorilla nods and ushers them closer.

* * *

 “An EMP in the omnic city?!” Brigitte asks. She paces about the room. “This is really not good. Hundreds of omnics will die!”

“Genji, how does an EMP affect you?” Winston asks. Hanzo stiffens. He hadn’t thought about that.

“According to Angela, if my mechanical parts were to ever be hacked or disabled, I wouldn’t be able to move them. I have enough organic organs that I could live with my mechanical parts disabled for about 5 hours before I enter critical condition. If I eat a meal shortly beforehand, I can last up to 7 hours. I also run the risk of… oh what is it called in English…” Genji mutters for a bit before looking to Winston’s set up. “Athena, what’s _shinbou_ _saidou_ in English?”

“Atrial Fibrillation,” Athena answers.

“Atrial Fib-fib- that thing. I have a chance of getting that as well,” Genji finally says. Hanzo hums. He guesses that is not that bad, but there is still one fact that remains.

“And yet you still want to be here? Do you not see how unwise this is?” Hanzo asks. Genji glares at him.

“Yes. These people need me, and I will not let them down.” Hanzo growls and steps closer to his brother.

“Even if it means you could possibly die?!”

“Yes! I could die at any moment working with Overwatch, and this mission is no different! There is nothing you can say that will change my mind!” Genji argues.

“You fool! Can’t you see that I’m worried about you?!” Hanzo shouts. He blinks, surprised by his own honesty and looks away. “Even though I don’t have the right to be, I’m worried about you. You risk the most in this mission…”

“Brother…” Genji puts a hand on Hanzo’s shoulder and squeezes. The archer refuses to look up at him. “I will be fine, Hanzo. I believe in everyone here. We will get through this. I will get through this.”

“I uh, I think maybe we should come up with some sort of strategy to handle this. I can think of something myself, but uh, I think maybe… McCree, you should be the one to come up with the plan,” Winston says. The Shimada brothers both look at the gorilla then to the cowboy who stands with a dark look in his eye. Eventually, McCree sighs and nods.

“Alright, fine, I think I can come up with somethin’.” McCree takes a seat in a chair and pulls out his comms device. “Athena, can you pull up a grid of the city? Let’s say from just shortly north of the clock tower all the way to the omnic city?”

“Of course, Agent McCree,” the AI responds. Soon, a holo-map of the city shows up. Everyone stares at the map, but Hanzo can tell they aren’t quite seeing as much as the cowboy. McCree takes his time looking over the map, turning gears in his head with each nook and cranny he sees.

“Alright… I think I’ve got somethin’,” he says finally. He points to the omnic city to the town square Hanzo was in before. “Genji, I want you here with the omnics, full armor to blend in. I think it might help if we can spread the word to get them evacuated in case somethin’ goes wrong. Plus, you can be both our first and last line o’ defense. There’s gonna be some guys there already it seems, but don’t attack unless you absolutely think you need to. Just spread the word to all the omnics there that they’re in danger.”

“Understood. It should be simple enough. Should I hide my swords somewhere so they aren’t seen?” Genji asks.

“If ya can, go for it. We don’t want these guys to know they’ve got a fight on their hands yet,” McCree agrees.

“In that case, there are plenty of empty rooms and storage crates nearby you can use to hide them. I ventured into the city yesterday and scoped the place out, so I know you can find somewhere to hide them if you show up early enough,” Hanzo announces. Both Genji and McCree nod, but then the planning continues on.

“Brigitte, with your mechanical expertise, I want ya to stick close to Genji. In case anything goes wrong, you’re our biggest hope to save some lives. Watch out for anyone, not just Genji, and fix ‘em up if you see they need it. Apparently, there’ll be empty rooms and stuff you can hide in, so just stay hidden until you’re needed. Hopefully we won’t need you and then you can come up to the front lines, but just in case…” McCree grumbles.

“Got it! I promise I’ll do my best. Don’t underestimate the power of pure Swedish engineering,” Brigitte smirks. The cowboy just nods.

“Alright, as for the rest of us, we’re gonna try ‘n either stop this EMP from makin’ it to the city, or we’re gonna stall it for as long as we can. We don’t quite know what size the thing is, but if it’s military grade, we can expect it’ll need some muscle to move it.” He points to the plaza right in front of the clock tower. “This is probably where most o’ the people are gonna be considerin’ they’re hiding the EMP in the clock tower. We’re gonna need Lena to zip in ‘n out as much as possible to create some chaos among the lower ranks. Winston, I want you to join her an’ go in an’ do your thing, take care of their tech, stuff like that. You science everythin’ out, alright? Hanzo, I want you up high here.” McCree then points to the visible high ground surrounding the plaza. There’s quite a bit of space. Two roofs on either side of the clock tower, a lounge area facing the clock tower, and a long hallway with doors to open connecting the two spaces. “I want you to take out any threats and protect our backs. I already know what you can do, so I want you to do that again. Don’t come down unless you absolutely have to.”

“Understood. I take it I will not need to meet with our informant then?” Hanzo asks, raising a brow at the tanned man.

“Nah, I’ll do that part. I’ll go in, sweet talk ‘em, spit in their face, let all hell go loose. Ya know, the usual. I’m hopin’ that by goin’ in I can sabotage their weapons and make the fightin’ a lil’ easier on us. Then, when the fightin’ starts, I’ll join in with Winston an’ Lena on the ground and take out as many as possible. This way, when the Reaper comes in, there’s three of us on the ground to help the big guy out. Not to mention, your skills as a sniper should also help us.” Everyone starts nodding, understanding the plan. McCree then goes into some possible movement formations should everything go wrong or the need arise, as well as some possible times for Brigitte to join on the front line should they need support and armor packs. Hanzo had gotten the feeling in their mission back in July that McCree had an excellent battle sense, but the man could possibly go into the military with the strategies he has and come out successful. Even years of training with the Shimada haven’t given him the same sharp sense for battle that McCree has. Winston was smart to ask him to come up with their plans.

“Now, uh, McCree, you said these were all locals, right?” Winston starts nervously.

“Yeah, that’s right. That’s why I wanna sabotage their weaponry as much as possible. Unless it’s lookin’ like you’re not gonna get out o’ it alive, try not to kill anyone. We don’t wanna end up slaughterin’ half of the King’s Row residents after all,” McCree sighs. Suddenly, the man really looks his age. The crows feet around his eyes are more pronounced, the pull of his brows draws attention to the stress lines on his forehead, and his downtrodden eyes are tired. Despite such a good strategy, the man himself doesn’t seem too pleased. Hanzo stands and looks around the room. Lena still hasn’t returned. She probably won’t until she’s sure Hanzo isn’t there.

“Well then, I think I’ll go on a bit of a lookout. McCree, do you think we can use this building here as a base to fall back to?” Hanzo asks, pointing to a church-like building across the way from the clock tower.

“I suppose we could. You gonna try an’ set it up tonight?” he asks.

“Might as well. It would give me something to do tonight,” Hanzo sighs. As he turns to leave, a hand catches his. McCree is looking up at him.

“You know you don’t gotta go.” His voice is quiet so it cannot be heard by the others who are already conversing among themselves. Hanzo just shakes his head.

“Turn some of that concern towards yourself. You aren’t looking too well right now,” he simply says. He pulls his hand free from McCree, gathers any equipment Winston might need at the building and heads out the door.

The night is lonesome, but passes quickly. The building is nearly empty save for a pool table and a couple arcade machines in a corner. It is the perfect base of operations as it is highly unlikely anyone would come inside. Hanzo spends much of the night setting up different screens with maps of the city, statuses of the agents via their comms—most everyone is asleep by the time he accomplishes this—some first aid kits and medical supplies, and anything else he thinks might come in handy. By the time his dragons are nagging him to sleep, Hanzo thinks he’s successfully turned the building into a base of operations. He takes a cloth covering some supply crates to the second story and lays in the corner for some rest. He doesn’t sleep, but it is enough to consider rest.

The sun is already up by the time the other agents enter the building from a side entrance Hanzo had sent to everyone via their comms. Winston looks over the tech set up as a relay point to base while Brigitte looks through the first aid kits. Eventually, both seem satisfied with Hanzo’s work, and everyone starts preparing for the mission. Despite the cold, Hanzo sheds his clothing to don his traditional wear, ribbon back in his hair like it never left in the first place. His bow finally leaves the confinement of his cello case, and the archer begins his meticulous care and preparations for the upcoming battle. In the background, he is aware of Lena helping Winston fit on his armor while he fusses over her chrono accelerator. Genji is cleaning all of armor before putting on each piece, and Brigitte is hurriedly making some portable armor packs. By the time Hanzo is finished with his preparations, McCree is nowhere to be found, though it is quite close to the agreed meeting time.

“Brigitte and I are heading off towards the city. I shall see you later, brother,” Genji’s voice floats up to him. Hanzo looks down from his perch and nods. Trepidation is still heavy in his chest, but he will try to trust in his brother just as his brother trusts in him. If they do their job right, Genji will not be harmed. Hanzo jumps down from his perch to join Winston and Lena, waiting for word from McCree before they move out.

“Man, Talon wasn’t cuttin’ any corners when they said they’d provide weapons. There’s a lot more here than I was expectin’,” McCree says through the comms. Hanzo looks at his watch. It’s 9:34.

“Will you be alright getting rid of them yourself, love?” Lena asks, the odd echo from the comms device jolting Hanzo.

“Should be alright. Lucky for us I know how to disassemble and reassemble a gun in 26 seconds flat. Should be able to remove a part from each o’ them to make ‘em not work. Anyways, while I’m doin’ that, I think y’all can start gettin’ ready. Hanzo should go ahead and take the high ground, if you two can just hide somewhere nearby ‘till I give the signal.” Some words are oddly accented with effort, making Hanzo think he’s already started working on the guns. He doesn’t hear any clinking of metal via the comms though, so at least he doesn’t have to worry about McCree getting caught.

“Right! There’s a cute little lobby in the area where Hanzo will be, so I think the big guy and I could hang out there until we’re ready to go!” Lena exclaims. She pats Winston on the shoulder and starts blinking away. The gorilla just gives a sigh as he’s already used to her antics and begins to follow. Hanzo grabs Stormbow and follows behind with an arrow already notched, just in case they’re found on the way there.

The trip is surprisingly uneventful. They only see two people standing in front of the clock tower on their way to the entrance on the side closest their base. The two were too busy conversing with each other that sneaking past was easy, even for the 2 meters tall genetically enhanced gorilla. The group sneaks around through the inside of the clock tower up to the high ground Hanzo will claim during the battle. The hallways connecting the clock tower to the building adjacent are also clear of any people. The locals probably weren’t expecting Overwatch to come bust their raid. Once sneaking through to the lobby was done, the three just sit around, waiting on McCree. Genji and Brigitte do check in at some point to say they’ve reached the city. With the free time on his hands, Hanzo slips into _seiza_ in a corner and begins to meditate. This will be a stressful mission after all. He will need to bit of peace meditation will bring him.

_Call upon us in battle if the need arises, Young Master._

Hanzo can hardly contain the excitement of the dragons. It has been a while since he has been called to action and even longer since he has called upon the power of the dragons. Not since his fight with Genji in May. Though he knows he is not rusty, Hanzo cannot help but wonder if everything will go well this mission. There is a lot riding on the line with but a slim margin for error.

“Alright, I took care of a good number of their weapons, but they’ll still probably have lots more left to deal with us. They started comin’ in to hand them out, so I had to high tail it outta there,” McCree’s voice buzzes over the comms, breaking Hanzo’s focus for his meditation. He opens his eyes and sees Tracer and Winston doing last-minute checks. “Y’all might wanna start gettin’ in your places now. Looks like they’re gearin’ up for somethin’.”

“Roger!” Tracer zips down through the hallways and with a quick peek in the doors overlooking the clock tower, he can see her already downstairs near Mondatta’s statue. Winston gives a small wave before ambling his way—at a much slower pace—to his own spot to jump down into the crowd. Hanzo waits a moment before looking at the plaza again. There are already around 30 men and women standing around in the plaza. McCree is easily recognizable in the crowd, talking to the two men who had recruited them the day before. After a few minutes, the three separate. Harold and Teddy move towards Hanzo so he ducks back inside for a while to remain hidden. He can hear McCree chuckle over the comms. “Boy is Harold gonna be mad when he finds out we ain’t helpin’ them out today.”

“What did you give as an excuse for my absence?” Hanzo wonders. McCree just laughs again.

“I said you weren’t the fightin’ type ‘n that you’re at home with the shits.” There is more laughter from others over the comms, and Hanzo’s cheeks flare with embarrassment.

“My brother? Literally scared shitless? Ha!” Genji’s laughter is perhaps the most irritating. “I’d pay to see that.”

“Yeah, well, we all know that it ain’t true. Harold’s gonna find that out in a bit here too. I’m waitin’ for them to pull out the EMP. Wanna see if we can disarm it somehow,” McCree explains, looking around. Hanzo looks to his watch. 9:58. Should things continue on schedule, the EMP should be out no later than two minutes from now. Getting ready for McCree’s signal, Hanzo grabs his bow and pulls out an arrow to have at the ready.

McCree doesn’t even need to give a signal. There’s a shout loud enough for everyone to hear. It’s the same man he had overheard talking to Talon. “Alright, everyone! Let’s get ready to move out the payload!” Hanzo peers through the doorway again and is surprised. The EMP is big.

The machine is long, probably 3 meters long and is sitting on a hovercart. It could easily be Winston’s height. The machine itself is encased in some sort of red armor plates, so destroying it is out of the question. It has to be disarmed. The hovercart itself moves out from a large opening not unlike a garage door in the clock tower. So that’s how they were able to hide it there, he thinks. McCree moves from the middle of the crowd to right in front of the hovercart, hands on his hips.

“Sorry, fellas, but that’s about as far as I’m willin’ to letcha go.” McCree announces. He hears a few exclamations of surprise then cries of anguish as Tracer and Winston jump down into the crowd and start doing damage.

“Shit! Everyone, let’s get rid of them! We need to move the payload!” Hanzo decides to make himself known by moving into the open doorway. He unleashes arrows into the crowds, knocking guns out of hands and striking calves to prevent movement. This adds to the chaos as those who find out that their guns don’t work are then scared that they might not be able to run. “They’ve got a sniper!”

Even among the chaos of the battle, Hanzo manages to meet eyes with Harold. The man looks up at Hanzo incredulously. The archer just smirks then points away from the battle with his bow, giving him a pointed look. Harold pales and nods. He elbows Teddy beside him and they both drop their guns and flee from the battle. Honestly, these aren’t trained soldiers, just regular civilians, so disarming the group, even as many as there are, is very simple. It’s only a matter of minutes before everyone is either unable to fight or escaped.

“It appears as though there are no more enemies left,” Hanzo says. McCree hums, walking around the plaza to double check. There’s no one hidden in the hotel. There’s no one in the clock tower. There’s no one up high with Hanzo. Everyone has been taken care of.

“Alright, good work then. How’s everythin’ lookin’ on your end, Genji?” McCree asks.

“Truthfully? It could be better.” The strain in Genji’s voice is obvious to hear. There were light sounds of battle in background as well. “Once you guys started attacking, the ones here panicked and started firing. I warned as many omnics as I could, but some of them stayed behind and got caught in the crossfire.” There’s a loud scream and a wet noise then silence for a moment. “I am fighting off as many enemies as I can, but Brigitte has her hands full caring for the omnics who got shot. If everything is done there, I would appreciate some assistance.”

“Alright, Tracer, can ya go run an’ give Genji some help? I think we got things handled here,” McCree says.

“On it!” Lena chirps. As she zips down the road, Hanzo just sits on the ledge of the doorway for lack of something better to do. No one they’ve harmed is in critical condition. The plan is to call for an ambulance once they’ve left so as to not get Overwatch caught. McCree still ambles through all of the people though to double check that no one is seriously harmed. Finally, he stops at the man who presumably coordinated the whole thing.

“So, you thought you’d fancy a stroll in the park an’ just murder a buncha harmless omnics?” the cowboy questions. The man seems only slightly scared but sends a heated glare McCree’s way.

“Damn that blasted Talon! They promised me more! If I had gotten everything they’d promised me, you would be the one on the ground right now!” the man shouts. Hanzo rolls his eyes. He’s heard the same thing many times. It’s the cries of the pathetic. McCree just stands upright and slowly pulls out a cigarillo and lighter. With a nonchalant attitude, the cowboy lights up, puts the stick in his mouth, and takes a very relaxed drag.

“Alright, I’ll bite. Why’re you doin’ this?” McCree finally asks. The man seems to start sweating nervously, but refuses to give his ground.

“If only that blasted merc were here,” the man grounds out.

“Yeah, well, looks like he ain’t, so how’s about you get over that an’ start tellin’ me what I wanna know?” McCree folds his arms over his chest and gives the man a stern look. The conversation continues going in circles, but a chill crawls up Hanzo’s back. Suddenly alert, he looks around and can’t find anything out of place.

Until he spots it.

At first it seems like a trick of the light, a shadow flickers over the payload. The shadow starts to grow however until there’s a dark circle on top of the EMP. Hanzo watches as black mist and shadowy tendrils rise up from the circle. The archer stands up and notches an arrow into his bow.

“McCree! Get away from the payload!” Hanzo shouts. The American looks up to the payload, but by that point, the shadowy circle has nearly transformed into that of a man. He yelps and rolls away from the payload.

“What the fuck is that thing?!” McCree asks, a hand on his hat to keep it there.

“It’s Reaper!” Winston shouts.

The shadows surrounding the payload vanish, and Hanzo can see that it is in fact, a man. He stands tall dressed in all black, a hood over his head and a white owlish mask over his face. The shadowed man takes one look around then clicks his tongue in disappointment.

“Never send a civilian to do a soldier’s job,” the man growls. The voice puts Hanzo on edge. If he thought Genji’s cybernetic voice was off putting, the way this man sounds in constant agony gives off putting a whole new meaning. Reaper reaches into his coat and pulls out two large shotguns, one in each hand. “It’s a good thing I decided to bring some company.”

Winston gives a shout as large waves of Talon grunts come rushing out into the street. McCree curses and begins to fire into the crowd, hoping to thin some numbers. Hanzo calls upon the power of his dragons to unleash six rapid shots before firing at a normal pace.

“McCree, I hope you know I am aiming to kill,” Hanzo warns. These aren’t civilians after all.

“Be my guest!” McCree shouts with a grunt, rolling to dodge some incoming fire.

“What’s going on?” Genji asks via comms.

“Talon offered more in terms of manpower than just the Reaper. We’re being besieged by Talon operatives,” Hanzo explains. He releases an arrow into the throat of a man who snuck up behind McCree. The cowboy gives a quick nod in thanks before throwing out a flashbang and downing three unsuspecting soldiers.

“We’re almost done here! Do you need any help?” Lena asks.

“Please and thank you,” Winston grunts. The gorilla gives a loud groan as a round of fire hits his arm. Winston leaps up and away and drops a bubble shield where he lands on a nearby roof. Hanzo turns his direction to Reaper on the payload only to find that he’s moved the EMP a bit now. Hanzo quickly fires away at him.

“McCree! The payload!” McCree turns and swears before bolting to the payload. It is currently underneath the hallway connecting the building Hanzo is in and the clock tower. The angle is awkward for Hanzo to shoot, but he makes it work. An arrow sticks into Reaper’s arm and leg, causing the man to grunt in pain. McCree raises his gun to shoot his head, but Reaper doesn’t react. As the shot ring out, the shadowed man stays upright. His body is more transparent than before and slowly, the arrows in his body sink to the ground.

“What in the-” McCree starts. As the man regains his opacity, Hanzo can see shadows curling around where the arrows were. The archer recognizes it as an incredible regeneration ability. The Reaper chuckles darkly and raises his guns.

“My turn.” McCree rolls quickly to avoid taking damage, but the wide spread of the shotgun shells still find a way into his back. The American groans in pain and staggers forward a few steps before bringing his gun back up to fire. Hanzo can see each of the bullets enter the Reaper. His shoulder, his chest, his stomach, his thighs. Every shot hits, but nothing stops the man’s advance. “You’re getting sloppy, McCree.” McCree’s eyes widen in surprise that the man knows his name. It drops his guard long enough for reaper to take aim again.

“Jesse!” Hanzo shouts. He leaps down from his perch and reaches out for the shotgun currently aimed at McCree’s head. The gun is shoved downwards as a shot rings out. The archer is aware of stinging in his left thigh, but he can still move. He shoots a few arrows at the Reaper, causing the man to become transparent once more and slink away to regenerate. “McCree, are you alright?” The cowboy finally snaps out of his stupor and reloads his gun.

“Yeah, thanks for that. I swear you’re always savin’ my sorry hide,” McCre grits out. He winces as a certain movement causes pain on his back. “Damn, my back hurts. Guess we can’t let ‘im get too close to us.”

“Agreed.”

“Are you two okay over there? I’ve got my hands busy with the rest of Talon, so I don’t know what’s going on,” Winston says.

“We’ll figure it out. How are you doin’ big guy?” McCree asks. Hanzo shoots an infrared arrow into the alleys, seeking out the Reaper.

“Could be better!” Winston laughs nervously.

“I’m on my way, Winston! Hold on!” Lena chirps.

“If possible, Brigitte, can you come as well? I have a feeling we will need your armor,” Hanzo says. He sees the Reaper hiding just on the other side of the bridge. With a nudge, he points out the man’s location to McCree who nods with understanding.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can! I have just one more omnic to see after this one and then I’ll be there!” It’s not as soon as Hanzo would like, but it would have to do. She is undoubtedly saving lives right now after all.

“Understood.” With a tilt of his head, Hanzo draws another arrow and moves with McCree to take down the Reaper.

McCree rolls forward past the wall and throws out a flashbang, stunning the man. Hanzo unleashes an arrow to his throat while McCree grinds out six quick bullets to his chest, a couple hitting his heart. The Reaper groans and gurgles around the arrow in his throat before falling to the ground. Hanzo keeps his bow at the ready for a few moments before finally letting it drop to his side.

“Do ya think we’ve done it?” McCree asks, inching closer to inspect the shadowy man. Hanzo looks at him with caution. The shadows haven’t stopped moving.

“I don’t know… Is it even possible to kill a man like this?” Hanzo asks. Just as McCree starts to answer, it’s not the cowboy’s voice that speaks.

“I invite you to try.” The pair look to the Reaper who is less in the shape of a man and more just a conglomeration of shadows. Once again, Hanzo’s arrow sinks to the ground as the shadowed mass moves in between the pair. Reaper gives out a sickening laugh that strikes fear into Hanzo’s heart.

“McCree! Look out!”

“Die! Die! Die!” Reaper cackles as he shouts and pulls out his shotguns to shoot in wide arching circles. Just as Hanzo thinks he’s out of ammo, another gun appears from within his cloaks to replace the last. Hanzo ducks behind the payload for cover, only getting sprayed by a few stray shotgun shells, but he hears McCree groan in pain as he takes the brunt of the attack. Once the sound of gunfire and death has stopped, Hanzo leaves his cover in order to retrieve McCree. In a split second decision, the archer decides to move the pair closer to the omnic city so that any other Talon operatives wouldn’t find them. Safely behind cover, Hanzo takes this time to look over McCree’s injuries.

His chest plate is badly dented, but it seems to have taken the most of the attack. It seems as though McCree’s legs also took much of the attack, his pants and skin on his thighs ripped to shreds. At the very least, he isn’t in critical danger, but there is no way McCree can fight like this.

“Are you able to walk?” Hanzo asks. McCree groans and puts a hand to his bloody legs.

“Nah, don’t think so. Can hardly feel the damn things,” he grunts.

“Brigitte, we need you to hurry. McCree is in need of medical care,” Hanzo reports. His hands work quickly to remove the serape around the cowboy’s neck and despite the protests, he places it on McCree’s thighs. “It is cold and snowing. We can’t have that getting an infection, so keep it covered until Brigitte gets here.”

“Okay, but Hanzo, what are you gonna do now?” Hanzo stands and pulls out another arrow for his bow. Looking over his shoulder at McCree, the archer advances back towards the battle.

“I will go have a chat with death.”

As Hanzo grows nearer, he can hear Tracer’s guns in the battle meaning she has made it to support Winston. At the very least, Hanzo can now solely focus on Reaper as Winston has the backup he required. The archer quickly analyzes everything he knows about his enemy and tries to find some sort of weak point. The regenerative ability of the man certainly makes things harder. Unfortunately, with a moving payload, the time to think is short. Already, he can see the EMP rounding the corner from the clock tower. McCree is just a short ways away around the corner of the building next to Hanzo. The archer must do something or else McCree will just end up in the line of fire again.

The Reaper rounds the payload to stand in front of it and chuckles at the sight of Hanzo. “Come back for more, Shimada? You know, Talon could use you.” Hanzo draws his bow, a snarl on his lips.

“And I believe I’ve already told Talon that I won’t use them. I will never join you!” The arrow lets loose but Reaper just lets it glide right through him.

“You should learn to take a hint. We’re only asking you now. Soon, we won’t be asking.” The Reaper rushes forward, shooting his guns towards Hanzo. The archer strafes around, letting arrow after arrow fly. Both are hardly doing any damage to the other, and yet they continue to fight. It will be a war of attrition, stamina. A war Hanzo will eventually lose.

Hanzo doesn’t notice that his strafing allows the Reaper to close the distance between them until it’s too late. A clawed hand slams into his left side, forcing him against the glass windows of a shop. The archer's side warms from the blood and pain, but beyond a grunt, Hanzo doesn’t surrender his ground. He swings his bow like a sword and brings it down on Reaper’s head. The man is stunned for a moment just like any would be from blunt force trauma, and it’s enough for Hanzo to pull himself free. He sinks to one knee, holding his bleeding side. The Reaper catches his bearings soon enough and brings up his guns again. Hanzo leaps to the side as the gun goes off, but his reaction was too slow. His right side sears with pain. A glance down shows that a bit of his stomach on the right side was blown away.

“Hanzo!” McCree’s shout seems so far away. Hanzo grunts but gets to both feet.

“Don’t mean to alarm you guys, but we’re in a bit of trouble! These Talon guys just won’t stop coming! We’re gonna need help!” Lena cries over the comms.

“I’m almost there!” Brigitte shouts.

“I am on my way, but I will be a while,” Genji says.

Hanzo puts a hand to the gaping wound in his right side. It even blew away his clothes. He glances at McCree then to the clock tower plaza where the others are fighting. If it is just to buy time, Hanzo can do that, but the chances of his survival are slim. This Reaper is a formidable opponent simply because of the demonic abilities he possesses. At the very least, Hanzo has enough stamina to continue for a few minutes. That should be enough.

Hanzo draws his bow again to start attacking the Reaper. He hears McCree call for him in the distance, but it’s out of focus. The shadowed man draws his shotgun. Hanzo knocks it away with an arrow then quickly shoots another in his shoulder. The man groans then pulls the arrow out himself instead of letting it fall to the ground. Another shot rings out. Hanzo jumps out of the way but falls to a knee again when he lands. The pain in his sides are restricting the movement he can do. A glance up shows the Reaper reaching out with an empty hand. Hanzo is about to accept his fate when suddenly the area is bathed in a golden light.

“Experience tranquility.”

Hanzo is incredibly warm. The air is warm. His stomach is warm with the tingle of alcohol. His left arm is warm. A glance down shows another arm lined up with his, contributing to the warmth. McCree sits beside him, still laughing about something or other. He isn’t sure why, but the archer lets that laughter stir up his own. Normally, he wouldn’t. What purpose does laughing have? But here with McCree, Hanzo feels that it is alright to laugh and be happy for the first time in a while.

“Ya know, Hanzo, I sure am glad you joined Overwatch,” McCree says, a fond smile on his face. Hanzo raises a brow through a sip of sake. It’s rather high quality sake. He hasn’t been able to find anything like it outside of Japan. “I mean it. You’re a real good fella. I like hangin’ out with ya too.”

“Perhaps that is the alcohol talking. I do not know any who like spending time with me,” Hanzo says with a smile. McCree nudges him at the self-deprecating humor.

“Nah, I mean it. It’s not just the alcohol. I like hangin’ out with ya when we’re not drunk too.” McCree’s smile is so earnest, Hanzo has no choice but to believe it. A light feeling bubbles up in his chest.

“Well then, since we are being so honest with each other, I suppose it is only fair to tell you that I enjoy our time together as well. At first, I thought you were dangerous. A man too smart for his own good. It’s good to know I was right.” Hanzo smirks up at McCree’s surprised expression. The man is dangerous indeed if he’s able to make Hanzo feel like this for the first time in a very long time. This overwhelmingly positive atmosphere is more relaxing than any meditation he’s ever done. It makes the archer feel that so long as McCree is by his side, Hanzo can reach the redemption he seek and possibly more.

“Hanzo.”

The call of his name snaps Hanzo out of whatever trance he was in. No longer is he in a warm room drinking with McCree as they’ve done many times before. He is back in King’s Row in the snow, facing off against the Reaper who is once more slinking away from injuries. Hanzo turns to face the source of the voice and is surprised to see an omnic he’s met only once. Zenyatta Tekhartha. “I give you a chance to focus.” The omnic motions towards Hanzo, and it is then the archer can see a golden orb floating near him. The pain he felt is no more than a dull sting. A glance down shows that his injuries are not healed though. They just do not hurt as much.

“What did you do?” Hanzo asks.

“That is not important right now. You have something in mind to secure victory, yes? I would hurry. Our enemy approaches,” the omnic says. Hanzo turns back to see Reaper boldly walking forward. Hanzo is low on arrows not to mention the injuries he and McCree sustained. Even if they were to defeat the reaper, the seemingly endless stream of Talon agents near the clock tower await. If only there was a way to defeat the Reaper and thin their numbers at the same time.

_Call upon us, Young Master! Now is the time!_

Hanzo blinks. Of course. _The dragons_. He takes a deep breath and draws an arrow. It’s aimed for the Reaper while keeping the plaza in mind. The air starts to crackle with electricity and the hair on the back of his neck raises. He can feel the power of the dragons coursing through him. Remember who we protect.

“ _Ryu ga waga teki wo kurau!_ ” The arrow soars through the air and more predictably, through the Reaper. The shadowed man chuckles, unaware that death awaits him.

Only a few meters in front of Hanzo, Raimei and Raikou form. Storm clouds gather, and their heads appear from the clouds. The twins follow the path of the arrow, bodies crawling forward and devouring all foes in their path. Hanzo can hear the Reaper shout and feels the dragons devouring him through their bond. Soon, the twins phase through the wall and enter the clock tower plaza. The dragons consume many Talon agents and thankfully just pass through Tracer and Winston. Hanzo watches as the tails of his dragons leave and follows their heads. Reaper is nowhere to be found, but he is sure that he will not return.

“What is this? This is incredible! Talon’s been wiped out!” Tracer exclaims. McCree comes to support Hanzo who is weakened from calling the dragons. Instead of fear which the archer would have expected, McCree looks to be in awe.

“Those are your dragons?” he asks. Hanzo nods.

“Yes, they are the power given to me by my family’s bloodline.” Hanzo takes a breath as his vision grows blurry. “McCree? Forgive me, but I will pass out now.” All Hanzo hears is a “what” before his vision goes black.

* * *

When Hanzo next wakes, he is surrounded in white light. A soft beeping noise comes from beside him. With a groan, he realizes he must be in the medbay back at the watchpoint. The archer tries to sit up but then grunts as a searing pain flares in both his sides. Cool hands are immediately there to steady him back into the bed.

“Oh good, you’re awake.” Angela smiles down at him. She adjusts the bed so that he can sit more upright. “How are you feeling?”

Hanzo groans. His mouth is dry. He tries to make some saliva to make the task of talking a bit easier. “Better, I can assure you. How is McCree?” A glance around shows that the cowboy is not here, but that omnic master of Genji’s is.

“I can never keep him in here as long as he’s supposed to be, but considering his injuries were light, he’s already out of my surveillance. I just needed to put a few stitches here and there and clean off the gun wounds. The rest will heal with time,” she sighs fondly. Suddenly, a sharp look is sent his way. “You however, are lucky that Zenyatta found you in time. What were you thinking continuing to fight with your injuries?”

“What?”

Angela huffs. “Unbelievable.” She grabs a clipboard with what he assumes are his charts and begins to read it off. “You had several deep wounds from a shotgun in your left thigh that could have caused some muscle damage. There are the puncture wounds on your left side that also fractured one of your ribs, and then there’s the gaping hole in your right side! You’re lucky it didn’t hit any organs, but you had lost a lot of blood. I had to do a transfusion almost immediately upon your arrival.”

“Oh,” Hanzo says. He glances down to his side, expecting to see some gory mess or missing parts, but surprisingly, he’s whole. “Um-”

“I grafted some skin for you. It’s going to scar and it doesn’t quite match your skin color, but it’s better than living the rest of your life with a hole in your side,” Angela sighs, setting down the clipboard.

“I see… Thank you.” Angela is a little flustered at that, making Hanzo wonder how often she hears those words. She stands upright and brushes off her doctor’s coat.

“Yes, well, you really should be thanking Zenyatta here. He was able to keep you in stable condition until you arrived. Anyways, there will be time for that later. I want you to stay here for three more days under surveillance to make sure nothing gets infected, and then after that, I’ll be going over what physical activity you should avoid and for how long.” Angela fiddles with his IV for a moment before seeming satisfied. “Well, that’s all, Mr. Shimada. Good work, but do try to be more careful in the future. I shall see you tomorrow.”

Angela leaves, making Hanzo alone with the omnic monk. There are a few questions Hanzo has, so this is good timing.

“How are you feeling, friend?” Zenyatta asks. Hanzo scoffs.

“We are not friends, but I am doing fine. Thank you.” They both nod at each other then sit in silence for a moment. Then, Hanzo asks. “What did you do back there? That golden light… it made me see something, feel something even though it wasn’t happening. How is this possible?” There is silence for a moment and Hanzo cannot gauge what the omnic is thinking with that blank faceplate. Eventually however, Zenyatta speaks.

“In my years as a monk, I have learned that to embrace tranquility, one must first know what makes them happiest and most relaxed. Then, I can use these feelings of happiness to block pain sensors and increase rates of healing,” Zenyatta begins.

“Yes, but I am human. I am not a machine that can be connected with,” Hanzo argues. Though he isn’t sure, he swears the omnic looks a little amused. A short chuckle confirms it.

“Yes, that may be true that you are human, but the mind works in mysterious ways. Humans have transmitters just as omnics do, though yours are more organic. These transmitters connect your brain to different parts of your body, so they are called neurotransmitters.”

“I am aware of human biology,” Hanzo says shortly.

“Just making sure. What many humans do not even know is that those neurotransmitters work similarly to how omnics work. They carry and run off of electricity. They send signals from your brain throughout your body and back. What I do is increase the output of certain neurotransmitters that secrete endorphins. The increase in that particular hormone is probably what creates the effect you claim to have experienced. I personally do not see anything when I use this ability, but others have often told me that they see themselves with their loved ones and others they hold dear. Was this the case for you?”

Hanzo stays silent. He saw himself with McCree, and the cowboy was happy to be with him. Even if McCree does bring some semblance of happiness, the question Hanzo needs to ask is if he deserves it? There is no use denying the importance of the cowboy, not after Zenyatta has only confirmed it through the explanation of his ability. Hanzo huffs a sigh. He will think about this later. “I suppose you could say that.”

“Then all is well. I was worried that a man like yourself wouldn’t be able to see anyone,” Zenyatta says. Hanzo glares at the omnic.

“How dare you!”

Zenyatta holds up a hand. “Hold. I did not mean any offence. I meant that you are further along the road of recovery than you might think. The rage within you his diminished over the months since we last met. The person you saw when I used my transcendence is good for you.” Hanzo calms himself. Some of what the omnic says rings true. It is perhaps because of McCree that he’s been able to talk with Genji lately. Otherwise, he would probably still lock himself up in his room. “Genji was right to extend an invitation to Overwatch to you. Though he calls me his master, I have much to learn from him as well.”

“About that, Genji says he invited you, but you refused to come. Why are you here?” The omnic pauses. Hanzo once more curses his protective feelings. They have only gotten worse the more time he spends with his brother.

“In the past, Overwatch set peace with the omnics, but most of the victims of their wars were omnics. Since I left the monastery, I have been travelling to help any omnic I find. When Genji informed me of the recall, I was unsure if Overwatch would be willing to fight for omnic lives as well as human. Then, I saw you all in King’s Row, putting your lives on the line for those of omnics. There was no more doubt left to cause my hesitation. So, here I am, and I will stay until I can be sure that omnics and humans have achieved a true peace together.” Hanzo hums. He can understand that. “Anyways, I believe that I have answered your questions now, yes?” Hanzo nods. “Then, I shall be on my way. It is quite late after all. You slept the rest of the day away due to surgery. I shall see you around, friend.”

The omnic leaves, walking on two feet. Hanzo hums, having the faintest memory of seeing the monk levitate back in King’s Row. Perhaps it was a trick of the endorphins.

Happiness and relaxation…

Hanzo thinks to his time spent with McCree over the last couple of months. It is true that after their mission together in July, he has found the cowboy’s company to be more enjoyable. It would also be a lie to say that he does not look forward to their celebratory drinks after each mission. A warmth starts to bloom in Hanzo’s chest. The McCree in his vision was soft and gentle, different from how he is in reality yet also not uncharacteristically so. It could happen… if McCree were also happy in his company. There is no denying the hatred the cowboy held for him in the beginning. Even Hanzo hates himself. It would be no surprise if McCree didn’t really enjoy spending time with him and only did it out of pity and some sense of duty to Genji.

But still. It would be nice if McCree did enjoy spending time with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Funny story, this chapter was not supposed to be out around Christmas. I just realized that the last time I updated was around then and thought you guys might wonder if it was on purpose. It's not. But boom! Some serious development in this chapter. Reaper was introduced, Hanzo is starting to realize he might actually like McCree, and Zenyatta is now part of the Overwatch crew! Wowee this chapter took a lot of work, but I'm proud of it! Like I said before, the story is gonna move along a lot faster now, and just maybe you guys will start seeing hints of a budding relationship between Hanzo and McCree. I didn't realize how self-indulgently I was going on about Hanzo until now, but no worries! I've got a surprise in store for next chapter, and I can guarantee you that I will not be going into Hanzo's characterization anymore next chapter. Well, that's all I've got for now. I'll see when I can get out the next chapter, but it shouldn't take as long as this one. See ya next time!


	10. Ain't No Rest for the Wicked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nightmares continue to plague the halls of Overwatch, familiar faces of ghosts just too persistent to fade into the past. A new mission arises, bringing about a new opportunity for the Overwatch crew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter~! As you can see, the chapter count has been updated. I found myself with some free time and actually officially wrote out and planned each chapter to reach this total. We've got 13 more chapters after this before this fic will reach it's end. Hopefully, those 13 chapters come before the year is over lol but since I'm already moved and settled into my new place, I don't see why it can't!
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. It's time for the big surprise I've been planning all along. I say it's a big surprise, but it really isn't. You guys probably won't even be shocked, but I was looking forward to the change at least. Anyways, I hope you enjoy~
> 
> Content warning: heavy smoking and drinking as a result of bad coping mechanisms, depictions of panic attacks

With night set upon the compound, it provided the perfect cover for the strike team to move in. The four moved quickly and stealthily through the compound, much like they had planned meticulously. Guards fell one by one without a single alarm being raised. When one of the four was noticed, another would step in and dispatch the guard. All went well until the four reached their target. That was when they derailed from the plan.  He couldn’t care less for all of the petty banter happening. As long as their mark was taken down and taken in, it was a job well done. He should’ve have known, should have seen the warning signs. It’s his fault he didn’t. His fault he couldn’t prevent everything.  The crack of a single shotgun burst into the silent air. Their target stumbled backwards, out the large window behind him and into the pool below. There was no doubt about it. 

Their target was dead.

“Reyes! What did you do?!” he asks, grabbing his commander by the shoulder to turn him. The commander just stares back, empty but with a sinister glint to his eyes. “This was not the plan!” The commander smirks.

“Yeah? Well plans change, and you aren’t needed anymore, McCree.” Another shotgun blast rings out, this time right in his chest.

“Reyes!” Jesse shouts, sitting upright in bed. Cold sweat chills his heated skin and soaks his bed sheets. His lungs struggle to take in air even with the large heaving movements they make. Jesse brings his flesh hand to his head to steady himself.

Another nightmare.

They’re common occurrence, at least to a man with plenty of blood on his hands like Jesse McCree. He sees plenty. Some are about the people he’s killed. Some are about the people he’s lost. Most frightening are the ones he’s let down. Lately though, his nightmares have been showing the same person with more frequency. Blackwatch Commander Gabriel Reyes has been in his dreams more often than not since their mission in King’s Row two weeks ago. Jesse doesn’t want to think about what it could mean.

With a sigh, Jesse brings his feet to rest on the floor. He gives a glance to his mechanical arm, finally off for once, but can’t bring himself to put it back on. The floor is cold beneath his feet, but it feels good in contrast to the warmth of his sweat slicked skin. A quick glance at the clock shows it’s only just past two in the morning. Enough time for him to go back to sleep if only he could. He’s sure the dark circles under his eyes are a good indicator of how little he’s slept lately.

Groaning, Jesse stands and stretches his limbs. A walk to the kitchen sounds nice. The gunslinger fumbles around without turning on a light with great difficulty. Dirty clothes are piled up on every surface, the floor, the chair, the desk, the table, the dresser, all with the empty promise of there being a laundry day soon. It’s always today for sure, or okay since it wasn’t yesterday it’ll definitely happen today. Some days, he doesn’t even try to lie to himself that laundry will get done. Where clothes don’t cover, there’s empty beer and whiskey bottles. There’s bound to be dozens of bottles strewn about the room, not to mention the cardboard boxes. Jesse would like to think they’ve accumulated over time like his clothes, but really, it’s only been since their last mission two weeks ago since this bout of heavy drinking began. Angela would kill him if she saw his room. As if the clothes and alcohol wasn’t enough, the smoking has gotten worse. Anytime Jesse hasn’t been drinking or eating, he’s been smoking. Normally his coping mechanisms aren’t this bad, but… there’s just something gnawing at him, refusing to let go.

Eventually, Jesse finds a clean enough T-shirt and sweatpants to walk around in and dances through dressing himself with one hand. He runs his fingers through his slightly greasy hair and grimaces as he leaves his room. One of these days he’ll feel up to sorting his shit out. That’s just not happening right now.

The dim glow of the emergency lights low on the walls of the hallways are somewhat soothing. Perhaps it’s been designed that way figuring most of Overwatch’s troops would have some form of PTSD or insomnia. Jesse wouldn’t put it past them. The steel floors are cool to his bare feet, but it’s a welcome chill to calm him from the sweat of his nightmare.

Eventually, Jesse makes it to the kitchen and grabs a mug. He presses some random buttons on the coffee maker, not really caring what result he gets. All coffee is the same. Either it tastes like dirt, or it doesn’t. He’s not quite sure what good coffee would taste like. The poor old coffee machine sputters about and whines loudly as it grinds out a cup of Joe. When Jesse has a warm mug of what could possibly be dirt, he takes out his silver flask and pours some whiskey in it to help it along. With a tired sigh, he takes a seat in the cafeteria and slowly sips his coffee staring off into the dark room.

Something just isn’t right.

Jesse can’t get it out of his head.

The nightmares. Those two shotguns. He knew Jesse’s name. It all has to mean something, but what? The only person who the Reaper could be is… he’s dead. Jesse had left him for dead basically, and that’s what happened. The only person Jesse keeps associating Reaper with is the very same person he ultimately betrayed and let die. Perhaps it’s just his guilt making him think this way, but… is it possible?

No. Gabriel Reyes is dead, and he can’t be Reaper.

“I need more whiskey,” Jesse says to no one in particular. The American looks about the empty, dark cafeteria once more. It really just isn’t the same without Hanzo. That archer has been cooped up in either his room or med bay lately, not that Jesse can blame him. Hanzo nearly died for his sake once again. Still… he has gotten pretty used to seeing the other in the cafeteria late at night. It had become a bit of a habit really to meet him here late at night. It happened so much, Jesse has even thought of the two of them like friends for a while.

At least he thought.

During the mission at King’s Row, that monk Zenyatta showed him how much Hanzo really means to Jesse. Since he never really finished school and isn’t book smart, the gunslinger couldn’t really follow the omnic’s explanation of what happened, but basically, during that time Zenyatta had 6 arms and made him feel all healed up, the monk had somehow made Jesse see something akin to a dream, or rather, something Jesse thinks is a dream. He supposes it could have been a beautiful nightmare.

* * *

Instead of bleeding out on the streets of Kings row, Jesse found himself back in the cafeteria of Overwatch in the dark, much like he is now. His hands were shaky, breath ragged. His vision was blurry. It had been a while since this kind of deep set panic had set in, but Jesse was no stranger to it. Usually, he’d sit in the dark like this and work on his breathing. He’d ride out the images coming to his mind and remind himself it wasn’t happening, that he was safe. 

But the panic this time is different.

His chest is trapped in an icy fear. His brain can’t even see what images are haunting his mind this time let alone think through them. For some reason, the dark that is usually comforting just makes Jesse panic even more. It isn’t long before he’s on the ground, too lightheaded from the lack of air reaching his brain to stay upright. Somewhere in the background, he can hear a panicked voice. Then a hand is on his back and another on his shoulder. The hand on his back starts moving in slow, soothing circles. The hand on his shoulder is periodically giving gentle, reassuring squeezes. Jesse finds it easier to match his breathing to the squeezes on his shoulders. They come at even intervals and it’s easy to focus on.

Squeeze. Breathe in. Pause. Squeeze. Breathe out. Pause. Squeeze. Breathe in. Pause. Squeeze. Breathe out. Pause.

This continues for some amount of time until Jesse can better grasp his surroundings. He is in the Overwatch cafeteria, safe and sound. The images his mind creates are far away from him. The hand on his shoulder and back belong to Hanzo, and neither have stopped moving. It’s strangely reassuring to know Hanzo was the one to find him. The silence of the archer helped greatly. There was no pressure to calm down or a concerned voice to add to Jesse’s panic. Eventually, the lightness of Jesse’s head leaves and he rests his head on Hanzo’s shoulder next to him. The two sit in silence for a couple more minutes, Hanzo’s hands still moving though the one on Jesse’s shoulder now just moves up and down instead of giving gentle squeezes. Surprisingly, the first one to break the silence is Hanzo.

“Are you feeling better, Jesse?” he asks, his voice just above a whisper. The cowboy nods.

“Much better thanks to you, darlin’. Sorry ya had to see me like that.” Jesse gives a wry smile, betraying how much he cares about Hanzo’s opinion of him. The archer just solemnly shakes his head.

“No, do not be sorry. Never be sorry for how you feel. I am sorry I could not help you sooner.” Jesse frowns.

“Hanzo-”

“No. You are a good, just, and strong man, Jesse McCree. But perhaps it is because you are strong that you feel the need to shoulder your burdens alone. I…” Hanzo pauses and looks rather serious for a moment. “You have been a great help to me, Jesse. I only wish I could offer you but a fraction of what you have given to me.” Jesse lifts his head from Hanzo’s shoulder and offers a small smile, a genuine one instead of the charming mask he usually wears.

“Thank you, Hanzo. I mean it. It’s good to know you care.” Hanzo smiles, one of those small shy things that are becoming Jesse’s favorite things to see lately.

“Of course, Jesse. You are important to me. Never forget that.”

* * *

 

A small dreamy sigh escapes Jesse just thinking about what he saw that night. He isn’t sure just when he became to be so smitten with Hanzo, but he also isn’t sure he minds so much. The only thing that ruins his feelings towards the Shimada is the man himself. Hanzo is such a closed off man. Though they’ve made progress into something resembling friendship, Jesse knows Hanzo would never return his affections, let alone call him by name like the Hanzo in that dream does. If Jesse were to say anything, Hanzo might even retreat and undo the progress made in their relationship so far.

And Jesse really doesn’t want Hanzo to pull away now.

The sound of the door opening pulls Jesse from his thoughts. Part of the American expects Hanzo to walk in and is sorely disappointed to see the other Shimada instead. Without the faceplate, Jesse can see the playful smirk on Genji’s face at his disappointment, but he’s too tired to care.

“Good evening, Jesse. Or maybe it’s good morning instead?” Genji greets with a nod of his head. Jesse just groans into his coffee.

“What are you doin’ up? I know you don’t need that much sleep now, but what brings you here at this hour?” The mug is gently set down on the table while the cowboy leans back in his seat. Genji shrugs and leans against the table.

“Angela is working late tonight, so I thought I would make her some coffee. Also, it seems as though Hana’s stream is running quite late, so since Hanzo needs to rest, I agreed to bring her snacks and drinks tonight,” Genji explains. Jesse hums. He hadn’t known Hanzo brought the MEKA star snacks so often. It makes sense thinking about it though. The archer does have quite the soft spot for Hana. “I am sure you miss my brother on nights like these, huh? You must have had another nightmare.” Jesse’s easygoing smile falls.

“Yeah… They’ve all been about the same person lately…” Jesse rests his head in his hand then glances up at the cyborg. “I know you left Blackwatch early for the new strike team an’ all, but… what did you think of Reyes? Before… _Before_.” Genji gives a hum as he starts the small electric kettle. He leans against the counter top to face Jesse as he speaks.

“Back when I was in Blackwatch, I was a different man than I am now. I hated everyone around me, even you. It is a reason I am grateful you allow me to call myself your friend.” There is a bit of genuine remorse in the synthetic voice that makes Jesse frown. Sure, Genji was a big asshole back in the day, but it was all within reason. It wasn’t as if the two hadn’t shared any good memories, so of course they would be friends. Before the cowboy could argue however, Genji continues.

“I did not think much of Reyes back then though. He was a brilliant leader and strategist. It is for those reasons I never cared to spend more time around him than needed. I… did not have good experiences with those kinds of men before Blackwatch after all…” Silence lapses between the two of them. The beeping of the kettle breaks the silence. Jesse absorbs the information as Genji prepares coffee for Angela and tea for Hana. Once both mugs are steeping or brewing, he turns back around. “I always knew the two of you were close though. I could see the admiration in your gaze for him before Rialto, and the fondness he held for you was always evident in his voice. If I recall correctly, you started distancing yourself from everyone shortly after Rialto as I was transitioning out of Blackwatch and into the strike team…” Genji removes the tea bag and stirs the instant coffee mix. “Is there a reason you bring up Reyes?” Jesse huffs out a sigh.

“Reyes was real important to me. He had the kinda patience a man in his position shouldn't've had towards a brat like me. The first couple o’ years before you came along, we weren’t all that close really. I was used ta havin’ power an’ authority bein’ a founder o’ Deadlock an’ all, then I come here and have to answer to someone else. I didn’t like it one bit, an' Reyes knew it. He pushed his luck a couple times, just to assert that he was the one in charge, but then sometimes when I expected him to be a real hard ass… he just shrugged everythin’ off like it was no big deal. He took me for my first legal drink. Was there when I went through a growth spurt and outgrew everythin’ I owned ‘cept this hat. Taught me how to shoot better. He was good to me when he didn’t have to be.

“Then came Rialto… Those were the warnin’ signs I should’ve noticed, but I didn’t… Or maybe I did an’ I didn’t care… I’ve been havin’ dreams about Reyes lately. Mostly nightmares… Seein’ him turnin’ on me before the Swiss HQ explosion or seein’ him burnin’ in that buildin’... All o’ these dreams just gets me thinkin’ that maybe… Maybe there was somethin’ I could’ve done for Reyes, pull him outta where he was before things went to shit…” Genji is silent as he peruses the kitchen for snacks. It isn’t until he has a nice tray full of snacks and the two hot mugs settled that he speaks again.

“That is a dangerous line of thought. For years, I thought about my fight with Hanzo… I never told you the details about our fight, but… I was not as blameless as you might think. When our mother died, I started distancing myself from Hanzo since he wasn’t grieving like I was. I should’ve seen that it was because he wasn’t allowed to grief like I was, but… I was selfish. As the years went on and Hanzo became the perfect heir the elders wanted, I just wanted to escape at any costs. That’s why I contacted Overwatch, and when our father died and I never saw Hanzo shed a single tear… I honestly didn’t care if you captured Hanzo. I betrayed him, brought upon his rage when really he was hurting just as much as I. I was just allowed to show it.

“For years in Blackwatch I had thoughts like yours. What if I had just talked to Hanzo away from the elders about the loss of our parents? What if I consulted him about Overwatch before I called you in? What if I had been the one to kill him that night instead? The warning signs of our fight were there, and I wondered what would have happened if I had done things differently. It wasn’t until I met Master Zenyatta that I learned that it doesn’t matter. Thing could have been different, yes, but what happened is reality. Thinking about things that could have been takes away from the things that could be. Hanzo and I are alive, and I could focus on what I could have done differently, or I could confront Hanzo and move on from the past. You know what I have chosen, and I am a better man for it.”

Jesse hums. It makes sense, but there’s one problem. “What if the person you’ve wronged is already gone?” A gentle hand squeezes Jesse’s shoulder. The cowboy doesn’t even have to look up to know that Genji is giving him a pitying smile.

“Then there really is no use thinking about what could have been. Things will never change. What comes next is what you do with that knowledge, and I know that it is much to handle alone.” Genji picks up the tray and starts for the doors. “I wish you luck that you find someone to be to you what Master Zenyatta is to me.”  Soon, the cyborg is gone from the cafeteria leaving Jesse all alone with his thoughts once more. For the last two weeks, his head has been spinning around, thinking circles around the King’s Row mission. Who is Reaper? Why does he resemble Gabriel? What if Reaper is somehow Gabriel? As much as Jesse doesn’t want to admit it, that outcome makes the most sense... Even though Gabriel Reyes is dead.

Jesse just shakes his head and downs the rest of his whiskey and coffee. Enough is enough. Thinking about these things is just tiring him out. It’s been a while, so maybe he could go shooting. It’s late enough now that if he were to get in a good workout, he’d finish around breakfast time. With Hanzo out of commission, it’s been a while since he’s visited the practice range anyways. Something about shooting without the friendly competition of the archer just feels empty to him, but that’s what he needs right now. A little empty distraction never hurt.

The cowboy stands and takes his mug to the sink to wash out. He leaves it out to dry before contemplating his left arm. It’d make sense to go get his prosthetic if nothing but for the balance it brings him… But his room is so far away and it’s bound to be cold when he puts it on and be heavy. Eventually, he decides against grabbing it. He isn’t planning on doing intense practice, just something to keep him busy. Jesse continues on towards the training hall, the floors cool on his bare feet. Definitely unconventional, then again, hardly anything the American does is conventional.

* * *

 

“You know, kid… Sometimes, improvising is a good thing, but you could stand to learn to use the playbook a bit more,” Reyes says without prompt one day. He and Jesse are standing in the aftermath of their last mission, dead bodies littering the room. Jesse makes a face at the smell of a nearby body before sliding away for a smoke.

“What’dya mean, boss? I thought this was a ‘do whatever works’ kinda place, and I’ve been doin’ just that.” Jesse flicks his lighter closed and takes a few puffs from his cigarette. Reyes makes a face at the smoke, but doesn’t say anything about it. Everyone’s got their own vices in a line of business like this after all.

“It’s been working so far, but there’s going to be a day where it won’t work anymore, and you’ll find yourself in more trouble than you signed up for. You have to adapt, Jesse. Start incorporating more things your team will know into your moves so that when shit hits the fan, you’ll still have a shot of making it out alive.” The commander pulls out his comms device to check on the extraction once more. Only him, Jesse, and two others made it out relatively unscathed. A medic is looking over the three who got hurt and an extraction sooner rather than later will do wonders for their recovery.

Jesse just shrugs and takes a slow lazy drag from his cigarette. “You’ve seen me in action… what, 7 months now? Heard about what I could do a good year before too. You know I’ll make it out of anything.” Reyes chuckles darkly.

“No, what I know is that you’re a cocky little 19 year old brat.” The commander reaches out and gives a light smack to Jesse’s forehead. “You’re smart, Jesse. You’ve got the battle sense, more than most people do. But being smart and having sense has its limits. Just look around.” Reyes motions to the bodies around them. Jesse looks and sees what he always does. The winners standing, living, while the losers are dead on the ground with hardly any care to them. As long as Jesse can remember, he’s been one of the winners, and he’s made sure to keep it that way too. “This one was like you.” Reyes points to a woman with a hole in her chest from the commander’s shotguns.

“How so?” Jesse asks. Her face has soft features, beautiful really if not for a deep scar that runs from her chin up her left cheek to her hairline. He briefly wonders how she got it before realizing it’s not important.

“She tried improvising. Things weren’t looking good for them. Their medic was caught out by you and taken care of. I was keeping their shot caller busy, so she thought she could try to shake things up. She came for me while I was busy with their leader. Unfortunately, her movements aren’t as sneaky as she wanted them to be. I was able to catch her and she died.” Jesse hums. Reyes sighs at the lack of understanding. “That could have been you, Jesse. When you’re off flanking and doing god knows what, anyone could catch you unprepared like I did her. Then what will you do?”

“Well… Guess I’ll die, boss, if that really happens.” Jesse shrugs. Death happens in their line of work. It isn’t a big deal. Reyes just sighs and shakes his head.

“No, Jesse. I’m trying to tell you to rein yourself in a little. Don’t just die because that’s what happens on the battlefield. You fight, got it? You fight and come back home. Your head has gotta be useful for something after all. Just think about how to get back to your team, and you should be alright.” There’s a steely quality to Reyes’s gaze, but there’s a small smile on his lips. Jesse looks to the commander suspiciously.

“Alright… But why bother givin’ me this lecture? Why not one o’ them?” Jesse shoves his thumb over to the three receiving medical care, a frown on his face.

Reyes just shrugs and looks to the sky as their ride finally arrives. “You’re smart, Jesse. Think about it and figure that out yourself.”

* * *

 

_ Agent Jesse McCree, is there a simulation that you wish me to run? _

Jesse looks up at Athena’s cool voice. While lost in memories, he’s made it to the training room. Eventually, the cowboy shakes his head and pulls out a training gun, Peacekeeper safe and sound back in his room. “Nah, thanks though, doll. I’ll just be shootin’ to waste time.”

_ Understood. _

Jesse smiles. He’s always liked his interactions with Athena, though she really only has a soft spot for Winston. She’s nice and capable and restores some of his faith in god programs (thought Winston will swear to anything that she is just a regular AI). The cowboy saunters slowly into the room, taking everything in.

It’s the training room like usual. A group of 5 robots moving through a predetermined course in one corner, two “enemy” robots shooting two “friendly” robots in a long hall, one “friendly” robot shooting one “enemy” robot in an open space next to that, two robots just standing by a wall, and a couple more robots peppered throughout the area. The room hasn’t changed since Jesse started in Overwatch, and it was probably the same even before then. The movements of every robot is so well known at this point that it doesn’t really improve aim rather than muscle memory. Still, it’s perfect for a mindless passage of time.

Jesse moves to the area with the 5 moving robots, standing in one spot and waiting for each to come into view before he shoots them. His shooting is lazy yet spot-on accurate as always. Every shot goes right through the camera lenses on each robot’s head with minimal effort. This is practically muscle memory after all, so it doesn’t require much thinking. His body is groaning with the awkward effort of shooting accurately without the proper stance. Jesse could almost hear Ana now scolding him for his poor form.

* * *

 

Jesse frowns at the paper before him. Each of his shots were lethal, but if you look close enough, you can see that his aim is just slightly off. The bullet meant to go between the eyes is slightly above the right eye. Another shot in the left shoulder artery just barely brushes against the artery. Were it a real person, perhaps the artery would open, but it wouldn’t be hit head on. The bullet is mostly in the meat of the shoulder. A shot aimed for the heart is only hitting the bottom tip of it. A shot for the kneecap is in the thigh instead. His aim is pretty sharp—he wouldn’t have been recruited into Overwatch if it wasn’t—but there’s something that’s just… _off_.

“Not bad. These are nice shots for someone your age. I’ll bet you’re dying to know why you aren’t completely accurate though,” the new voice startles Jesse. He turns to a woman wearing the standard blue Overwatch uniform, her black hair draping down her back underneath the blue cap, and a swirling tattoo under one eye. At the quip, Jesse shoves his tongue in his cheek and shakes his head.

“Nah, my aim is deadly as is. I reckon it’s why I’m here.” The boy sends the woman a sharp look, daring her to further challenge his pride. The woman just chuckles and looks at the paper target again.

“You’re right. Your aim is dangerous, but luckily for us, it isn’t deadly yet. These shots aren’t bad, aside from the one to the head that is. But it’s salvageable. It’s probably the reason why you came to us the way you did. I doubt Gabriel would have recruited you if you had made his agents return in caskets instead of in hospice.” She smirks as she walks closer to Jesse. “I could always give you a few pointers. I am quite the sharpshooter myself.”

“Look here now, I don’t need none o’ that.” The woman chuckles.

“Oh so you’re perfect? Absolutely perfect even though humans can’t achieve perfection? Please, share with me your secrets to overcome the boundaries of man,” she says dryly through a smirk. Jesse flushes knowing she has a point. Still, he doesn’t give her the satisfaction of saying anything. This doesn’t discourage her though. “Everyone could stand to learn a thing or two. Your problem is really basic too. I could show you…” She cocks one hip to the side and pulls out her rifle to rest on it. Jesse frowns at the machine.

“Your gun’s got a scope on it. ‘Course you’d be a better shot with one,” he says, trying to make up any excuse. The woman just shrugs.

“Alright then, give me your handgun and I’ll do it your way. No scope needed. All skill.” The woman is confident as she shifts weight on her hips and holds out her free hand expectantly. Jesse hesitates for a moment before sighing and giving the woman the standard issue handgun given to all entry grunts in Blackwatch. “Watch and learn, boy.”

The teasing air around the woman disappears as she lowers into a slightly crouched position and a tilt to her head. Steadily, she raises the gun and her arm then lets out four sure shots. All four land exactly where Jesse wanted them to earlier, between the eyes, in the shoulder artery, through the heart, and through the kneecap. With the work done, she smugly holds out the handgun for Jesse to take. “All that you’re missing is the proper form. You’re very lazy when you shoot and it shows in your aim.” Jesse starts as he grabs his gun, yanking it away from the woman.

“Now listen here, you! I-”

“I have a name, boy. Don’t just call me you. I’m Captain Ana Amari, so call me Ana.” The woman tilts her chin up proudly, showing she won’t back down. Jesse just growls. Great, another authority figure to have problems with.

“Yeah, whatever. So long as you stop callin’ me boy, ‘cause I got a name too. Name’s Jesse McCree. Ya best remember that.” Jesse goes about reloading his handgun to show little miss Ana that his posture is just fine thank you. Hastily he holds up his gun to shoot and his shot goes awry.

“Just look at yourself, Jesse. There’s no way you can hit anything standing the way you are now.” Instead of the smug tone he was expecting, Ana’s voice is even, almost as if she’s trying to teach him. She steps to stand behind him. A knee is jutted in at the back of his legs. “Bend your knees a little. You’re too stiff.” Jesse adjusts his stance and bends his knees. A hand moves to his back while another moves to his chest. “Keep your back straight. Slouching is bad for your health and your aim.”

“I don’t slouch!” Jesse whines. Ana sends him a sharp look and that’s enough to get Jesse to focus. He straightens out his shoulders and back, oddly enough feeling some sort of relief when he did. Maybe slouching really is bad…

“Alright, now keep your gun arm loose but strong. You don’t want to hurt yourself with the kickback after all, but keeping yourself too rigid can also hurt. Plus, by being loose, it’s easy to adjust your aim quickly and do what I like to call flick shots.” Ana’s hands move to his right arm and wiggle it around to help loosen it up. Once she feels it’s good enough, she lets go and steps back. “Alright, go on. Give it a try.”

Jesse nods then turns his attention back to the paper target. He takes one breath and focuses on keeping his posture right. Then, he lets loose a couple of shots. The bullets don’t exactly go through Ana’s holes, but they do clip them and make them larger. A testament that the posture thing improved his aim. With a smile, he turns to Ana.

“Was it really that simple all along, ma’am?” Ana raises a brow at the sudden respect showed to her, but she doesn’t say anything. Instead she just smiles and nods.

“You were right, you know. You have a good eye and a good aim hidden in there. You just lacked the foundations, the teaching. You can only get even better from here.” Ana smiles then turns her back to leave. Jesse steps forward.

“Uh, Mrs. Amari!” The woman turns, a sly smile on her face.

“Just Ana is fine, dear, but what is it, Jesse?”

“Uh… I was just wonderin’ if… you’d be willin’ to teach me more? ‘Bout shootin’ that is. I… I wanna learn… if that’s alright with you…” Jesse could feel his cheeks warm with embarrassment. It’s been a while since someone has been able to do this to him. Humble him. Ashe sure liked to test him, but… she’s nowhere near Ana’s level. The woman smiles again.

“Of course, Jesse. Just know that I won’t go easy on you. I’m a strict teacher.” Jesse just spins the gun on his finger.

“Well, maybe a strict teacher is what I need. I’ll see ya ‘round, Ana?” If there’s hopefulness in his voice, neither care. Ana just nods and starts making her way out.

“I’ll be seeing you, Jesse.”

* * *

 

Jesse frowns. First Gabriel, now Ana. Winter is always the worst time of the year, but never has Jesse been this overwhelmed by memories of the past. An anger fills his heart as he thinks of how Ana died. He remembers storming into Jack’s office to demand answers, only for the cold hearted commander to say he left her behind by choice. She could have been saved. Just like he could have saved Gabriel.

A growl escapes Jesse as he throws himself even harder into the exercise. He obviously isn’t working hard enough if he can have thoughts like these. Jesse starts rolling around, fanning the hammer, wasting ammo rapidly. The burning in his lungs and the sweat on his brow are almost as cathartic as they are painful. Striving for more, the gunslinger continues pushing himself despite his body’s protest. It works perfectly because with the pain of the workout, he can’t think, he barely exists. He hears Athena somewhere in the back of his mind but can’t bring himself to care. Over and over, Jesse pushes himself. Sprint around the corner. Roll. Fan the hammer. Sweat. Work. Forget.

Ana’s warm smile comes to mind. Gabriel’s snarky comments drift in his ears.

Jesse grits his teeth and rolls and barely registers the pain until after it’s done. There’s a loud thunk as his head rams right into a wall he had gotten too close to without noticing. Once he’s noticed it, the pain blossoms throughout his head, starting from the crown and fanning down. The American wants to bring a hand up to his head to see if he’s bleeding, but he doesn’t have the energy. Jesse just groans and lies on the floor for a while. It isn’t until he hears the soft clacking of heels on the floor that he looks up.

Angela crouches over him, a frown on her face. Gentle hands move him away from the wall and start to prod at his head. Jesse sucks a breath in through his teeth as her hands touch the tender spot on the crown of his head. Angela clicks her tongue at him and sets to work.

“Athena told me you were pushing yourself too hard. You were well beyond what is a healthy range of heartbeats per minute for a workout considering your baseline. What are you even doing here so early in the morning?” she scolds. Jesse hums. When he heard Athena earlier, it must have been her warning that she would call Angela in to make him stop. A sigh escapes him as he starts to feel some nanites working on his head.

“Just had to get up an’ do somethin’. Sleep just wasn’t comin’ tonight and… I kept thinkin’ ‘bout the past. ‘S not like sleep comes easy with that…” Jesse closes his eyes for a moment, resting from the workout he put his body through.

“Jesse… You know that if you need help sleeping, I could always give you some sleeping aids. The chances of you even having a dream are slim,” Angela offers. Jesse shakes his head then abruptly stops as he tightens her hold on it.

“Nah, but thanks. Even if the chances ‘r slim, there’s still a chance. Sleep just ain’t a luxury a man like me can afford, Angie. ‘Preciate the offer, but not sleepin’ like this is the best that can happen, to be honest.” Feeling a bit better, Jesse pushes himself to sit upright. Angela has a sour frown on her face, causing wrinkles to appear near her mouth showing a bit of her age.

“Surely you only think that because you haven’t tried sleeping yet. I could help you, Jesse.” Angela puts one hand over his to comfort him. Jesse just shakes his head though he does put his metal hand on top of hers to show appreciation.

“You just don’t understand. We live different lives so you don’t know what kinda horrors haunt me.” At that, Angela huffs and stands up abruptly. She stares down at him coldly.

“There’s no need to do everything alone you know. I swear, sometimes I don’t even know why I bother. Between you and Hanzo, I don’t know who’s worse.” Her lower lip trembles in that tell tale way it does when she’s trying not to shout. Jesse sighs and shakes his head.

“Sorry, but this ain’t just somethin’ you can help with.” Jesse sighs again as Angela just shoves her chin up and turns around. She leaves without a word, and the American knows it’s gonna be a while before he hears anything from her again. At least she had the decency to fix him up before she stormed off. 

Jesse rests his arms on his knees and looks around. Considering Angela had to come for him, he’s probably done with shooting for a while. A glance at his comms shows that it’s about breakfast time now at least. Still too early to drink really, but at least other people will be milling about. In fact…

With a newfound purpose, Jesse stands and takes his time walking to the kitchen after a quick stop in his room for his arm. He definitely feels a small burn in his legs that’s only going to get worse as time goes on. Once in the kitchen, he goes about making some breakfast, just omelettes with some vegetables in it. As an afterthought, Jesse makes some rice. The stock of food in the kitchen has improved over the months to the pleasure of mostly everyone. After the food is finished, Jesse takes it out of the cafeteria and down into the rooms. A quick tap on a door with his boot a few times gives him access to the room, a tired looking archer waiting for him inside.

“Mornin’ Hanzo. Brought you breakfast. Figured you could use some good food after bein’ on Angie's strict diet for the last two weeks.” Jesse smiles and sets the food down on the low table in Hanzo’s room. The archer goes about getting dressed in a loose T-shirt and lounge pants. Jesse tries not to stare, but it’s hard when Hanzo’s flexing back muscles are out in the open like that. Hanzo eventually sits at the table with Jesse, ready to dig in.

“Thank you for doing this, McCree. I appreciate it, but… you don’t have to visit me like this,” Hanzo says, picking up his fork. Jesse had asked him a long time ago if he preferred a fork or chopsticks, and the archer just shrugged. It was better in the long run as chopsticks aren’t exactly common here.

“I know I don’t hafta, but I like doin’ it. I actually like bein’ around you,” Jesse smiles. Hanzo rolls his eyes around a bite of the omelette.

“And I question your sanity every day for that.” Despite the harsh words, Jesse can see the light smile tugging on Hanzo’s lips. The cowboy laughs at that digging into his own food.

“Alright, enough sass. How’re ya feelin’ today, Hanzo?”

“I am… better.” Hanzo puts down his fork momentarily. “My legs… occasionally have tremors, most likely due to being shredded from Reaper’s shotguns. Thanks to the skin grafted by Dr. Ziegler, the hole that was in my side bothers me no more, and I’ve gotten over the slight cold I got because of it. There is still pain in my left side though occasionally. Nothing more than feeling like I moved too harshly with unstretched muscles though. I am truly grateful for the care I received from Dr. Ziegler.” Jesse hums.

“Well good. Ya scared me for a bit there, Han. Ya looked like you were walkin’ off to yer death there when ya went back out to confront Reaper.” Jesse frowns, remembering how grimly serious Hanzo was back at King’s Row. It was tough watching the archer fight all alone knowing he couldn’t do anything. “But… Thanks. It’s thanks to you we won in the end ya know. I’ve seen Genji’s dragon tons of times workin’ with him over the years, but… his ain’t nothin’ compared to yours.” Jesse swears he can see the faintest hint of pink on Hanzo’s face.

“Yes, well… I do hold two dragons within me. Not many in the entire history of the Shimada family can boast that fact,” he smirks. Jesse playfully rolls his eyes.

“There it is, Hanzo Shimada the showboat.” The cowboy puffs out his chest and sits upright. “Look at me. I’m Hanzo Shimada and I think I’m the greatest thing since sliced bread.” Hanzo just groans and puts a hand to his face.

“Please, you got to be joking. There is no way that’s some sort of American idiom.” Jesse can see the smile on the other’s face beneath his hand.

“Oh, but it is, trust me.” Hanzo just laughs at that and the cowboy allows himself a chuckle or two as well. The archer has been blessing Jesse with more of his laughs lately, just another reason for the feelings bubbling in his chest. Before he can say anything stupid though, Jesse just continues eating his breakfast.

“Dr. Ziegler is releasing me for physical activity tomorrow, so long as I don’t push myself too hard that is. If you don’t mind, I would like to train with you tomorrow.” Hanzo raises a brow nonchalantly through a bite of his food, but Jesse knows it’s anything but. Very rarely is he the one invited instead of the one inviting.

“Alright, sounds good,” Jesse smiles. He puts down his now empty plate and leans back, satisfied. “It’s been awhile since I had a trainin’ partner. It’ll be good ta have one again. Can’t wait ta see ya miss on account o’ bein’ rusty an’ all.” Jesse winks for good measure. Hanzo just huffs.

“In your dreams, cowboy. I will still be shooting circles around you.” Hanzo harrumphs once again proudly as he sets his finished meal down. Jesse chuckles.

“Is that what you do? Last time I checked, could’ve sworn we’re all tied up in our little rivalry. Seems like it’s high time I pull ahead now that you’re outta practice.”

“If only you can. Do your best, Jesse,” Hanzo smiles. Jesse stills, in complete awe. It takes a while, but when the archer notices the silence, he blinks. “Is something wrong?”

“Huh, no, I, uh- it’s just… You called me Jesse.” The American can feel himself smiling stupidly like a giddy schoolboy, but he doesn’t care if the bashful look on Hanzo’s face is any indication of hope.

“Hmm? Yes, well… I suppose I did. We’ve known each other for months now, so it shouldn’t be weird to use your first name… Though… I suppose I could go back to calling you McCree if you wi-”

“No!” Jesse pauses then clears his throat at his desperation. “No, I mean uh… I lik-... I don’t mind it. Call me whatever you want.” Jesse rubs the back of his neck and gives the other a shy smile. Hanzo seems to be just as shy and is determined to look anywhere except at the cowboy. The two sit in this awkward silence for a while before Hanzo clears his throat.

“Well… Since you’re all the way here, what would you like to do today? I figured you had more in mind than just breakfast. Since I have nothing much else to do today, I don’t mind whatever it is you have planned.” Jesse nods and stands.

“Ya always make fun o’ me ‘bout this, but I’ve got some good Westerns we could watch today. They’re all pretty similar, but they’re all inspired by the original, which I figure we could watch first. You ever heard o’ _The Magnificent Seven_?” Hanzo rolls his eyes but helps clean up the dishes and prepare for the upcoming movie marathon. 

The two settle in on the floor, leaning against Hanzo’s bed as there isn’t really any other seating options in these dorm rooms. Jesse hooks up a little holoscreen on Hanzo’s table and has Athena start playing the original _Magnificent Seven_ from the 1960’s, a damn near relic at this point. Both men are silent as it starts, but Jesse knows Hanzo isn’t a silent movie watcher. As soon as the archer has a question, he lets them loose. “Why is that man working for that woman?” or “If the woman can shoot herself, why does she not fight?” or “Why do they stop searching after seven men?” Eventually, halfway through the movie, Hanzo suddenly laughs even though there was no joke made in the movie.

“I understand why this is so familiar. This is based off an old Japanese movie. We should watch that one after this to show you the true ‘original’.” Jesse doesn’t say no. They sit through the movie though with less questions from Hanzo now. As soon as the movie is over, Hanzo has Athena show the movie _Seven Samurai_. It plays in Japanese, but Athena shows English subtitles tilted towards Jesse. It’s a bit distracting at first to read subtitles during a movie, but eventually he gets the hang of it. About halfway through the movie—about the same time Hanzo realized—Jesse realizes the similarities and silently snickers to himself. Oh the irony.

Once _Seven Samurai_ is done, Jesse asks Athena to load up the remake of _The Magnificent Seven_ from 2016. He supposes it should be a bit dry to see the same plot line three times in a row now, but somehow it isn’t. Because this is their third time around, he and Hanzo start sassing the characters and making fun of the more cheesy things in the movie. They end up laughing a lot more than before and agree to break for lunch after that movie. Jesse takes this chance to return the plates from breakfast while Hanzo returns the favor and makes some fried chicken dish— _karaage_ —claiming that perhaps the American in Jesse will appreciate fried chicken of all things. There’s a few people in the cafeteria already, but the two pay the others no mind other than exchanging a simple hello. They eat their lunch together then return to Hanzo’s room to continue the marathon.

The next movie Jesse has is the _Hateful Eight_ by Quentin Tarantino. They barely make it five minutes into the movie before Hanzo is making fun of and questioning the odd style of the movie and why there are cowboys in the snow. Jesse then has to explain the enigma of American culture that is Quentin Tarantino. Hanzo rolls his eyes at the apparent absurdity of the director then actually settles in to watch the movie. More questions are asked, more jabs are made, but Hanzo seems to enjoy the movie well enough. His odd fixation on the absurdity of Quentin Tarantino turns the marathon into a Quentin Tarantino marathon though. They go through many of his films, even the non-westerns. The pure gem they find though is a western, but the entire cast is Japanese. Not Japanese-Americans, pure, born and raised in Japan Japanese people. And even though the entire script is in English, none of the cast apparently knows the language well enough to make it believable. It’s a first for Jesse to see too, and even he ends up crying from laughter at the ridiculousness of the movie known as _Sukiyaki Western Django_.

The end of the most ridiculous movie either men have seen brings about the call for dinner and the end to their day together. They walk together, talking about the various movies they saw throughout the day and laughing at some of the more cheesy scenes in them. Jesse enjoys dinner with Hanzo, Hana, Daehyun, Genji, and Zenyatta surprisingly though the cowboy can see Hanzo tense around the monk at times. Once dinner is over though, they part once more, Jesse to his room and Hanzo back to his own. The day of distraction almost made him forget what awaits him at night. Almost.

* * *

 

“Talon troops incoming! Keep your eyes open!” Gabriel shouts over the sounds of gunfire. Jesse grits his teeth into a roll then fans the hammer on the grunt right in front of him. He dives for cover as he’s reloading, several bullets hitting the wall behind him.

“Workin’ on it, boss! Some o’ us ‘re too busy coverin’ your sorry hide!” Jesse teases, chuckling as he takes out two more with two well placed shots. He can hear Moira sigh through their comms.

“You two are adorable as always,” she groans.

“Your mouths are moving way too much for people who are busy getting shot at,” Gabriel chides. Jesse hears Genji’s swords take out a few troops. The ninja scoffs and flicks his sword to rid it of blood.

“I believe I haven’t said anything yet.”

“Then consider yourself one of the lucky ones that _aren’t_ getting on my nerves right now.” Together, the four continue to fight through the art gallery to the plaza. Of course, once they reach the plaza, they’re besieged by many Talon operatives. Despite Jesse’s frustrations, they continue to fight it out because either it’s fight and live or give up and die. He isn’t really looking forward to dying yet either. The four fight off wave after wave of operatives, cooperating to take out the assassins, snipers, and heavy assaults. Just as their ride out of Venice is growing near, something new comes to challenge them. It’s not an assassin, sniper, or heavy assault. Instead, it’s something only half-alive and surrounded by black smoke. Jesse freezes in the face of this new enemy, shrouded in black and wearing a white mask.

“What the fuck is this thing?!” he shouts, rolling away from it. He turns around and expects to see Gabriel, Genji, and Moira in Venice, but instead he’s in King’s Row with no one around. The black shadowed figure steps closer and removes the mask, revealing Gabriel’s face, but at the same time, it’s not Gabriel’s face. There are no  eyes, replaced instead by dark holes emitting the same smoke that comes from his body. His skin isn’t the same copper tan that Jesse is used to but instead a sickly grey-green pallor. Seeing Gabriel like this has the cowboy backing up further, fear and regret swelling in his heart. “No way… Gabriel?”

“The one and only…” His voice is rough and scratchy, like he shouldn’t be using it at all. For some reason, that just makes Jesse feel even worse. He can feel tears welling up at the thought of Gabriel suffering.

“Gabe… What happened to you?” The monster Gabriel has become just chuckles.

“What happened to _me_? Shouldn’t you know? You did this to me.” Gabriel’s voice turns dark at the end and Jesse stumbles, falling onto his butt.

“Wha-what? But how?”

“You _left_ me. You _deserted_ me. You **_betrayed_ ** me. It’s your fault I was there at the explosion. It’s your fault you weren’t there with me. _You_ did this to me!” Gabriel raises one of his shotguns level to Jesse’s chest. At this point, the cowboy has tears streaming down his cheeks as he shakes his head.

“No...no...no! I… I… I didn’t mean for this to happen! I just-”

“You only cared about yourself, and now… now I don’t even have the pleasure of dying. Go to hell, ingrate.” 

Jesse hears the clang of the shotgun before he jolts upright in bed. “Gabe!” He gulps in air like he can’t get enough. His chest is burning and the tears from his dreams are streaming down his cheeks now. Jesse puts his head in his hands—he ended up reattaching his prosthetic after dinner and never took it off—and holds himself for a while. That nightmare brought up the thoughts he most wanted to avoid. It’s all Jesse can do to keep repeating the same thing over and over in his head like a manta.

Reaper isn’t Gabe. Gabriel Reyes is dead.

Reaper isn’t Gabe. Gabriel Reyes is dead.

Reaper isn’t Gabe. Gabriel Reyes is dead.

Reaper isn’t Gabe. Gabriel Reyes is dead.

Reaper isn’t Gabe. Gabriel Reyes is dead.

Reaper isn’t-

But what if he is?

_ Agent Jesse McCree, you have been called to the meeting room for a mission debriefing.  _

Jesse starts. He brings his hands from his head and tries to control his breathing. It’s a couple minutes before the shaking and crying stops, but he’s mostly got himself together. He’s together enough to at least ask a question. “Athena, what time is it?” 

_ It is currently 11:42 A.M. What should I tell Winston for your estimated time of arrival? _

“I dunno… Just gimme a couple minutes, sweetheart.” Jesse sighs and rubs the heel of his palm into one eye then the other.

_ Alright. I will tell Winston to wait for you then. _

The cowboy waits a couple minutes for the last jitters of anxiety to leave him. Once he feels steady enough, Jesse gets up and looks around for some clothes to wear. Shaving and hygiene can be damned for now. Eventually, he finds a clean enough wife beater, a light jacket, and sweatpants and decides that’s good enough for now. Once he’s finished changing, he quickly makes his way to the meeting room, hoping that this mission wouldn’t be starting soon and he could get some more rest.

That’s the thing about nightmares, they always leave you feeling unrested.

Jesse opens the door and sees someone he hasn’t seen in years and thought he wouldn’t see again. He blinks then smiles brightly as he saunters further into the meeting room.

“Well, well, if it ain’t little Miss Fareeha. It’s been a long time since I last saw ya.” The woman in question stands as she sees Jesse enter and nearly tackles him into a strong hug.

“I could say the same for you, cowboy. Is it just me, or has your fashion sense gotten worse in the time I haven’t seen you,” Fareeha teases. A light laugh is heard in the room.

“Trust me, it isn’t just you,” Angela smirks. Jesse rolls his eyes. Just because they have a little fight, she thinks she can make fun of his clothes.

“Sorry, didn’t know I had ta dress to impress today. I kinda just woke up,” he says, following Fareeha in to take a seat. She blinks, unimpressed.

“Just woke up? Jesse, it’s almost noon,” Fareeha says, obviously holding back laughter.

“Yeah, I’m aware. Anyways, what brings you ‘round these parts? Don’tcha got some gig with Helix Security or somethin’?” Jesse asks.

“About that,” Winston cuts in. Everyone in the room turns their attention to him. Jesse takes notice of the fact that both Hana and Lucio are here. This would be both of their first real missions depending on what this mission entails. “Fareeha has come to us asking for help with something of critical importance. Considering that this is Helix Security, this will probably be the mission that we get noticed by the world. This is a very important mission, so listen closely.”

Fareeha smiles grimly and nods before standing to take charge of the debriefing. Using Athena, she pulls up a holomap of the Temple of Anubis. “We at Helix Security have been safeguarding the god program of Anubis since Overwatch was disbanded. Just recently, it broke out of its quarantine. We-”

“What?! That’s, like, a real emergency! Why are we not already on the way there?!” Hana shouts, hands slamming down on the table as she stands up. Fareeha turns to regard her then smiles gently. Jesse thinks that’s real impressive considering how just a few years ago she would have shouted right back.

“We sent an engineer squad out to work on putting Anubis back under quarantine. Things got a little dicey, and my team was sent out, but… we somehow managed to get the situation back under control. Anubis is back in quarantine and is being watched by our engineers.” Hana pauses before she sits back down. “The whole reactivation thing is a bit… suspicious thought. We understand that there’s been activity in Siberia, but there’s no reason at all for Anubis to break quarantine either. We suspect some foul play… Especially considering we’ve seen some signs of Talon activity in the area recently. This is where you all come into play.

“It’s become clear that whatever is happening, Helix can’t handle it alone. I’ve talked around and… we decided that it would be better to reach out for help. I’m here to ask you all to lend us a hand. We still need to fight a few sentry omnics Anubis sent out, and we have reason to believe that Talon will be coming in just a few days. We want you to help us secure our defenses around Anubis, in case anything does happen.”

“So we will just be defending the area while you work to secure Anubis?” Reinhardt asks. Fareeha nods.

“In a way, yes. This could just be for nothing. The information we have about Talon being in the area isn’t for certain, but I would appreciate having you all watching my back out there,” Fareeha answers. The loud German nods and nudges Torbjörn beside him who is looking rather thoughtful.

“So there you have it team. Angela will also be helping finish the quarantine on Anubis by allowing Athena to access it. It’s for this reason that I have to stay here to work with Athena, so I’m trusting you all. This is our first official mission. Please don’t make me regret it,” Winston begs. Jesse raises his hand shyly.

“Uh, ya sure you want the guy with a 60 mil bounty on his head to go out on the first mission the world sees of Overwatch?” he asks. Winston just smiles politely at him.

“Never more sure of anything.” That effectively cut off all arguments. Jesse just sighs and sinks in his seat.

“We can rest up for today. I’m thinking we leave here at 0800 tomorrow morning. My team should be able to handle themselves until then,” Fareeha announces. There are nods and sounds of agreement around the room then everyone stands to disperse and get ready for the mission. Jesse stands and makes his way over to Fareeha.

“All jokes aside, you look like you’re doing well for yourself Fareeha. You’ve even got the same tattoo as your mother… I’m sure she’d be proud of you.” Jesse gets a sad smile in response. She brushes some hair behind her ear and nods.

“I’d like to think so. I’ve… grown a lot since I last saw you. I’ve had this tattoo for a while, but… I only just recently came to understand what it truly means.” Jesse puts a firm hand on her shoulder.

“I uh… I’m sorry I wasn’t there… for the funeral I mean… I just… What Jack said to me… I just couldn’t be there, and I-”

“It’s okay, Jesse. We were both hurting… It still hurts sometimes, but… I know that if she knew we were sitting around sulking, she’d slap our asses to next week. I don’t hold anything against you.” Jesse nearly cries again at hearing those words. He’d always regretting skipping out on Ana’s funeral. The last time he saw Fareeha was even before then. He wasn’t there to help her through the loss he was also feeling.

“Thanks, Fareeha… I mean it.” Fareeha smiles and punches Jesse’s shoulder lightly.

“Yeah, well, let’s get you off to food and sleep, ‘cause you look like you need it if you’re going to be ready for tomorrow’s mission at all. Get rid of that bedhead before you meet my squad tomorrow if you wanna escape their sass. I swear they’re even worse than me,” she laughs.

“Yeah yeah, laugh it up. I’ll have you know I’m still a big hit with the ladies,” he smirks. Fareeha just deadpans at him.

“Jesse McCree, you are the gayest man I have ever met. Don’t brag about that.” They stare at each other for a moment before both break out into laughter. She sighs and lays a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Alright, we have time to catch up later too. You aren’t the only gay one around here, and I believe there’s an angel that requires my attention.” Fareeha winks at him. Jesse snorts and waves her off.

“Alright, alright, go get ‘er tiger.” Jesse watches Fareeha go before starting to move off himself. At least, he would have left if it wasn’t for the clearing of a throat behind him.

“Jesse? I, uh… I’ve been meaning to ask.. Have you given any thought to what I asked you?” Winston asks nervously. Jesse freezes and feels fear grip his heart again. His hand pauses on the door.

“...I… Sorry, I need some more time to think about it…” There’s a bit of silence then a disappointed sigh.

“I understand. If you want me to explain my reasoning, I-”

“It’s alright. I… I just need some time. Sorry, Winston,” Jesse interrupts before leaving the room. He rushes into the training room to blow off some steam, only to come face to face with Hanzo.

“Ah, there you are. I was wondering if you had forgotten about our plans today, but it looks as though you just woke up,” the archer smirks, rising up from his shooting stance. He rolls his exposed shoulder to stretch it out more. Jesse blinks. Between the nightmare and the debriefing, he had forgotten about their plans to shoot together, but Hanzo would more than likely get mad if he admits that.

“Nah, I didn’t just wake up an’ I didn’t forget. I was in a mission debriefing ‘till just now.” Hanzo frowns and turns back to the targets. He starts letting arrows loose. Jesse winces. Hanzo is not happy.

“Oh, is that so? When will you be leaving then?” Hanzo’s voice has a bit of an edge to it.

“Not ‘till tomorrow mornin’ at 8. I got time for a little friendly competition ‘till then. No need to worry,” Jesse smirks, grabbing a practice gun. Hanzo huffs and refuses to look, but he can see a bit of pink on the archer’s cheeks.

“Enough talk, hurry up and start shooting so that I may beat you.” Jesse chuckles and lazes up to take some shots himself. He takes a couple lazy shots to warm up before he turns to face Hanzo, a large shit-eating grin on his face.

“Ya know, it’s alright to say you’ll miss me.” Hanzo stops and whips around quickly to look at him.

“What?!”

“Athena, run trainin’ simulation Theta, an’ keep score for us, will ya, sweetheart?”

_ Understood, Agent Jesse McCree. _

Jesse chuckles as Hanzo whips his head between the training course and Jesse, obviously flustered and angry. Eventually, the archer lets out a growl and starts shooting, though the flush on his cheeks is quite cute.

“Jesse McCree, I _swear to god_!”

**Author's Note:**

> So that was the first chappie. It was pretty angsty, not gonna lie, but I love angst. I gotta get it in there somewhere, and you guys'll see what I mean when I say this isn't supposed to be a depressing fic eventually. It'll show up more later but yeah. Anyways, next chapter look forward to seeing Jesse and more Overwatch guys and watch Hanzo squirm (but not really).
> 
> If you wanna hmu, leave a comment, hmu on twitter @scoopachupa, hmu on tumblr @ slut4angst, or even on twitch at chedappa as I'm known to stream my terrible Overwatch gameplay occasionally.


End file.
